POA
by SiriusLover12
Summary: When our wonderful Marauders come across a book that will change their lives forever in the shrieking shack, their friendships might just end for good. See if you can guess the title. "Hey Prongs check this out it's got your name on it."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello oh so wonderful reader (****That's**** you... I'll refer to you as Reader from now on). It's great to see that people are actually interested in one of my fanfictions... I am honored... No, really... My other one was a total mess and I never finished it but I assure you Reader; I will NOT abandon this fanfiction. So just keep moving your eyes in that familiar 'left-right-down' motion and enjoy my fanfiction!**

**-Haydee (for information on how to pronounce that visit my profile cuz ****I'm**** too lazy to tell you now...)**

**P.S. Once you have finished reading my oh so wonderful first chapter you can go ahead and hit that wonderful little 'Go' button on the bottom left corner of the screen and tell me what you think. Ok? Thanx :D**

**Disclaimer: I own no characters and none of the book part... Just the plotline which, if I do say so myself, is the best I have ever written. wink**

Chapter One: Discovery

Lilly Evans and James Potter sat cuddled together in a corner of the Head's dormitory at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Across from them sat Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin. The latter holding an extremely onl object.

The four men, more commonly known as The Marauders, had made an interesting discovery the night before.

_--Flashback--_

_James __carefully__ pried himself free of Lily's grip, careful not to wake her. He climbed the stairs up to his dormitory and got two important items, his invisibility cloak and The Marauder's Map, a map of Hogwarts that showed every passage and everyone in them at that moment._

_He quietly made his way back down to the common room and covered Lily with a soft blanket he conjured, before exiting through a portrait of a snobbish woman named Violet._

_"Now what are you and you friends up to __tonight__?" She asked in a rather suspicious but unsurprised voice. After all, it wasn't unusual for James to sneak out of the dormitory for one of his nightly excursions._

_James simply ignored the portrait and made his way towards the Griffindor common room. When he got there he muttered the password (frog spawn) and quietly went up to the 7th year boy's dormitory._

_Once up there, James knocked three times and Remus opened the door._

_"Took you long enough." Said a voice behind Remus, "Wormtail nearly wet himself waiting for you to come... He didn't wanna go to the bathroom cuz he thought we'd leave without him." _

_James walked in and laughed. "is what Sirius says true Peter? You should know better... We wouldn't leave you behind." _

_Peter, being the shy, mousy boy he was, turned red and mumbled something about being right back._

_Once Peter returned from the bathroom the four boys made their way downstairs and through the portrait of the fat lady guarding Griffindor tower._

_Once out of the common room, Sirius and Peter went under James' cloak, so they weren't caught by patrolling teachers. James and Remus, being Head Boy and Prefect__, __had the excuse of patrolling the halls if they happened to run into a teacher, or worse__,__ Filch the caretaker._

_Once the Marauders reached their destination, an angry tree on the outskirts of the Hogwarts grounds, Sirius and Peter emerged from their hiding place__.__T__he latter transformed into a small rat, __slipped__ through the branches of the vicious tree and with his tail, touched a knot at the base of the trunk._

_The tree froze instantly as if time had suddenly been stopped. And the remaining Marauders ran up and slipped through a hole at the base of the Womping Willow's trunk._

_The __Marauders__ made their way quickly through the __narrow__ passage under the Womping Willow, not having enough patience to go any slower._

_A few nights ago, James, Peter and Sirius had accompanied Remus to the Shrieking Shack for his monthly __transformations__. See, Remus Lupin was in fact a werewolf and his friends, having found out in their first year at Hogwarts who he was, became animigi so they could keep him company while Remus endured his 'fluffy __little__ problems' as James put it.__ Having his best friends with him made Remus' transformations less painful and less dangerous for him as well as for any humans who happened to come across him in his werewolf form._

_So, now the Marauders were headed back to the Shrieking Shack because on the last full moon Peter had discovered a secret passage and, unfortunately, it had been time to go back to Hogwarts so they had been unable to explore it._

_When they reached the old, thought-to-be-haunted shack, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter climbed the stairs and found themselves at the mouth of a tunnel. Peter, being the smallest in his human and animigus form went first so he would be able to tell the other Marauders if the passage became to small or stopped. Behind him came James, looking exited, then Sirius, looking (as usual) lax and anything but worried, and bringing up the rear came Remus, looking anxious but determined._

_Then, out of nowhere, Peter stopped, causing James and Sirius to crash into him._

_"Will you two ever learn to pay attention and _not_ get distracted?" inquired Remus, amused at his two best friends._

_"Hey! Wormtail's the one who stopped without warning!" Complained James. _

_Sirius nodded his head vigorously._

_"Yeah sorry..." muttered Peter. "But the passage stopped. Now there's just a deep hole" He added._

_"What!? That can't be right... According to the map the passage ends-" Sirius' face fell and he muttered "-right here... Hmmm..." he added thoughtfully, " It doesn't say anything about a hole though..."_

_"Of course it doesn't." Scoffed James, "After all, the map doesn't say, it shows."_

_"Awww Jamesie, you know what I meant."_

_"Mmmhhhmmm, right Padfoot"_

_"Would you two stop bickering for a moment!" Hissed Peter._

_James and Sirius immediately fell silent, not being used to being told off by the rat. It was usually Remus who did the scolding._

_"Do you hear that?" Asked Remus quietly._

_"Yeah." Replied the other three simultaneously._

_For a faint ticking sound could be heard coming from below and the four mischief makers could not resist the urge explore unknown areas._

_"How do we got down then?" Asked James._

_"I'll do a cushioning spell and then we can all jump down safely." Stated Remus, as though it was the most obvious answer._

_"Good idea Moony." Came Sirius' voice. "You go first Prongs." He said to James. _

_"Why me?"_

_"Because you and Sirius are the reckless ones... And obviously Sirius doesn't want to go first." Stated Peter simply._

_"Fine, but you better not screw up that cushioning spell Moony." Agreed James. "Or my ghost will never cease to haunt you." He added with a wink at Sirius._

_"I'll tell you guys when to jump." And with that, James Potter jumped into a dark hole._

_A moment later, the three remaining Marauders heard a soft thump and James' voice called out, "Alright Padfoot, you next!"_

_Sirius grinned and hopped in as well._

_"Wormtail!"_

_Peter jumped down as well and after the 'ok' Remus followed suit._

_The Marauders found themselves in a large round cave with a large rock protruding in the middle._

_Sirius looked at the rock and said, "Guys. I think-"_

_"Really? _**You**_ think? Wow that's something." Proclaimed James, awed._

_"Oh shut up." Answered Sirius, wacking James on the head playfully. _

_Remus sighed. They could be so immature at times._

_"As I was saying when I got rudely interrupted," Continued Sirius, "I think that theres something in or having to do with that rock. Rocks don't naturally form like that. It has to be like that for a reason." _

_"Yeah." Agreed James, their previous argument forgotten._

_"Remus pointed his wand at the rock and said, "REDUCTO!" The rock immediately began to crack._

_"Brilliant Moony. Where'd you lear that?" Asked James._

_"Professor Monroe mentioned it in Defense today. Honestly don't you three ever pay attention?" Replied the werewolf._

_James, Sirius and Peter looked at their shoes sheepishly. "We didn't go to Defense... We were eh, planning that prank we played on Snivellus at lunch." Admitted Peter._

_"Ah. I was wondering why you three didn't tell me about that prank beforehand." Said Remus. "Anyway, its very simple really. Just _reducto_."_

_The four boys pointed their wands at the rock and said, "REDUCTO!"_

_There was an earsplitting 'crack' and bits of rock flew everywhere. The Marauders shielded themselves from the flying debris and when the dust had settled down again neared the small chest that had been concealed within the rock.  
__"Alohamora!" Chanted James, charms being his specialty._

_The small chest gave a faint click and Peter pried the lid off._

_Inside was nothing more than an old and dusty..._

**(Hey its me again. Just wanted to tease you. Lol... Ok you can keep reading now. Or should I end the chapter here? Bwa hahaha... I love this power. But you my dear Reader will hate me if I don't so I'll continue... On the other hand, if I stop at this cliffie you will be more likely so read the next chapter... Heeeheehee. Fine... Go ahead and keep Reading but you better tell me how greatfull you are by reviewing. :D lol thanx for reading! **_**You may continue...)**_

_Inside was nothing more than an old and dusty book._

**Dun dun dun!! (Just some nifty side effects)**

_"Awww, c'mon!" Groaned Sirius. "We spend half our lives avoiding the library and then we come across some ancient book... To think I could still be down in the kitchens being fed anything I wanted. What a waste of time."_

_"I agree with you wholeheartedly mate." Stated James while Peter noded._

_"Honestly, the day you three actually open a book will be some day indeed." Sighed Remus._

_After checking for curses, he stuck his hand in the chest and pulled the book out. Gently and with the hem of his robe Remus wiped off the thick layer of dust on the book and read the title. "Hey Prongs, check this out. Its got your name on it."_

_James snached the book out of his friends hands and read out loud, "'Harry Potter and the Prizoner of Azkban' What the hell?"_

**A/N: tee hee hee I'm Eeeevil aren't I? Well that is unfortunately the end of this chapter and I hope you like it. The next chapter will be out shortly and please hit that cute little purple-ish button and tell me what you think. You rock! Thanx!**

**-Haydee**

**P.S. Consider this a short chapter... The others will be much longer...**


	2. Owl Post

**A/N: Here you go folks. Chapter Two (one in P.O.A.) Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing... Nope****, not even the words in bold... Sad, innit?**

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had made their way back to their common rooms as quickly as possible and told Lily about their discovery. She seemed shocked by the fact that ther had left the school grounds after hours but nonetheless curious about the book.

Now, the Marauders were sitting in the Heads Common room about to begin reading the book.

"I swear I never thought I'd see the day when you guys would be so anxious to read a book." Lily said, mocking shock.

"Oh hush Evans." Cried Sirius. "Moony, start reading. Now."

"Yes mum"

**C****HAPTER ONE **

**OWL POST**

"What a peculiar name for a chapter"

**Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways.**

"Wait a second. Harry POTTER? I wonder... Could that be your son James?" asked Lily.

"I dunno... I guess so... But with who?"

"With Lily of course!" Stated Peter. "Has anyone ever seen a more perfect couple?"

**For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of year. **

"Wonder why that is? I wouldn't want my son hating summer... He'd be playing quiddich with me and your kids" Said James to the other three guys.

**F****or another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night.**

"What!? Why would he have to do that!" Lily cried indignantly!

"Yeah. Why would anyone bother doing homework." Agreed Sirius.

"Eh, that's not what she meant Pads." James noted.

**And he also happened to be a wizard.**

"Now what's so strange about that?" Peter questioned.

"Dunno. Maybe its a muggle book." Replied Sirius.

**It was nearly midnight, and he was lying on his stomach in bed, the blankets drawn right over his head like a tent, a flashlight**

"Isn't that some weird thing muggles use for portable light?" Asked James to Lily.

"Yeah..." She answered.

**in one hand and a large leather-bound book (A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot) propped open against the pillow. Harry moved the tip of his eagle-feather quill down the page, frowning as he looked for something that would help him write his essay, "Witch Burning in the Fourteenth Century Was Completely Pointless discuss."**

"God that sounds boring." Mutered Sirius.

**T****he quill paused at the top of a likely-looking paragraph. Harry Pushed his round glasses up the bridge of his nose, moved his flashlight closer to the book, and read:**

_**Non-magic people (more commonly known as Muggles) were particularly afraid of magic in medieval times, but not very good at **__**recognizing it. On the rare occasion that they did catch a real witch or wizard, burning had no effect whatsoever. The witch or wizard would perform a basic Flame Freezing Charm and then pretend to shriek with pain while enjoying a gentle, tickling sensation.**_

"Oh yeah. I did that once..." Said James thoughtfully, earning a weird look from his girlfriend.

_**Indeed, Wendelin the Weird enjoyed being burned so much that she allowed herself to be caught no less than forty seven times in various disguises.**_

"Wow she needs a life" Said Remus, much to the others surprise.

"What? She does."

**Harry put his quill between his teeth and reached underneath his pillow for his ink bottle and a roll of parchment. Slowly and very carefully he unscrewed the ink bottle, dipped his quill into it, and began to write, pausing every now and then to listen, because if any of the Dursleys **

"Dursley?? That's the bloke Petunia's going out with. What's Harry Doung with them?" Asked Lily.

"I know as much as you right now Lil, so please stop asking questions." Said Sirius.

**h****eard the scratching of his quill on their way to the bathroom, he'd probably find himself locked in the cupboard under the stairs for the rest of the summer.**

"What!? He's spending the whole summer there? Why? Where are we Lily?" Exclaimed James.

"Like Sirius said, I know just as much as you guys." She answered.

**The Dursley family of number four, Privet Drive, was the reason that Harry never enjoyed his summer holidays****.**

"I knew it" Muttered Lily.

**Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and their son, Dudley, were Harry's only living relatives.**

"What? That means we're..." Began James.

"Dead" Lily finished for him. How could this have happened?

**They were Muggles, and they had a very medieval attitude toward magic. Harry's dead parents, **

At this, a single tear rolled down Lily's cheek.

**w****ho had been a witch and wizard themselves, were never**

**mentioned under the Dursleys' roo****f. For years, Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had hoped that if they kept Harry as downtrodden as possible, they would be able to squash the magic out of him.**

"That's horrible" Peter voiced his thoughts.

"I know mate." Said Remus.

**To their fury, they had been unsuccessful.**

"Serves them right" Stated Remus.

**These days they lived in terror of anyone finding out that Harry had spent most of the last two years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.**

Sirius Chuckled

**The most they could do, however, was to lock away Harry's spellbooks, wand, cauldron, and broomstick at the start of the summer break, and forbid him to talk to the neighbours.**

"Wow! I wonder what kind of broom he has" wondered James and Lily frowned at him.

"You should be more worries about how he will get his homework done."

**This separation from his spellbooks had been a real problem for Harry, because his teachers at Hogwarts had given him a lot of holiday work.**

**"**See?"

**One of the essays, a particularly nasty one about shrinking potions, was for Harry's least favourite teacher, Professor Snape, who would be delighted to have an excuse to give Harry detention for a month.**

**"**What the hell is that slimy git doing teaching my son!?"Yelled James.

"Yeah. And he better be nice to my best friends son or else. Should we go pull down his nickers in the great hall again Prongs?" Said Sirus excitedly.

"Yeah..."

**Harry had therefore seized his chance in the first week of the holidays. While Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley had gone out into the front garden to admire Uncle Vernon's new company car (in very loud voices, so that the rest of the street would notice it too),**

**"**Dudley must be their son" Said Lily. "And it sounds just like Tuny to do something like that to anyone in contact with me."

**Harry had crept downstairs, picked the lock on the cupboard under the stairs, grabbed some of his books, and hidden them in his bedroom.**

Here the Marauders cheered loudly.

"Yeah."

"Way to go, Harry."

"Nice."

"A true Marauder."

Lily said something about boys.

**As long as he didn't leave spots of ink on the sheets, the Dursleys need never know that he was studying magic by night.**

**Harry was particularly keen to avoid trouble with his aunt and uncle at the moment, as they were already in an especially bad mood with him, all because he'd received a telephone call from a fellow wizard one week into the school vacation.**

**R****on Weasley, who was one of Harry's best friends at Hogwarts, came from a whole family of wizards. This meant that he knew a lot of things Harry didn't, but had never used a telephone before. Most unluckily, it had been Uncle Vernon who had answered the call.**

"This doesn't sound good..."

**"****Vernon Dursley speaking."**

**Harry, who happened to be in the room at the time, froze as he heard Ron's voice answer.**

**"HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I -- WANT -- TO -- TALK -- TO -- HARRY -- POTTER!"**

**"**Oh dear." Said Lily.

**Ron was yelling so loudly that Uncle Vernon jumped and held the receiver a foot away from his ear, staring at it with an expression of mingled fury and alarm.**

**"WHO IS THIS?" he roared in the direction of the mouthpiece. "WHO ARE YOU?"**

**"RON -- WEASLEY!" Ron bellowed back, as though he and Uncle Vernon were speaking from opposite ends of a football field. "I'M -- A -- FRIEND -- OF -- HARRY'S -- FROM -- SCHOOL --"**

All five of them winced.

"HE shouldn't have said that." Said Remus.

**Uncle Vernon's small eyes swivelled around to Harry, who was rooted to the spot.**

**"THERE IS NO HARRY POTTER HERE!" he roared, now holding the receiver at arm's length, as though frightened it might explode. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHOOL YOURE TALKING ABOUT! NEVER CONTACT ME AGAIN! DON'T YOU COME NEAR MY FAMILY!"**

**And he threw the receiver back onto the telephone as if dropping a poisonous spider.**

**The fight that had followed had been one of the worst ever.**

**"HOW DARE YOU GIVE THIS NUMBER TO PEOPLE LIKE -- PEOPLE LIKE YOU!"**

**"**Now really! No need to be so rude!" Frowned Lily.

**Uncle ****Vernon had roared, spraying Harry with spit.**

"EWWWW!!" Cried James and Sirius together.

"Poor Harry. I feel so bad for him." said James

"Hey Prongs. Why did you leave these muggles in charge of Harry?" Questioned Sirius. "Why didn't you leave him with me or Remy or Petey?

**Ron obviously realised that he'd gotten Harry into trouble, because he hadn't called again. Harry's other best friend from Hogwarts, Hermione Granger, hadn't been in touch either.**

**"**Oooo. A _Girlfriend._" Snickered Peter.

**Harry suspected that Ron had warned Hermione not to call, which was a pity, because Hermione, the cleverest witch in Harry's year,**

**"**Sounds like you Lil." Said James.

**had Muggle parents,**

"Yeah. Definitely like Lily."

**knew perfectly well how to use a telephone, and would probably have had enough sense not to say that she went to Hogwarts.**

**So Harry had had no word from any of his wizarding friends for five long weeks, and this summer was turning out to be almost as bad as the last one. There was just one very small improvement -- after swearing that he wouldn't use her to send letters to any of his friends, Harry had been allowed to let his owl, Hedwig, out at night. Uncle Vernon had given in because of the racket Hedwig made if she was locked in her cage all the time.**

"Poor owl" Sighed Peter, who allways like Care of Magical Creatures best.

**Harry finished writing about Wendelin the Weird and paused to listen again. The silence in the dark house was broken only by the distant, grunting snores of his enormous cousin, Dudley.**

"Ewww he sounds like some kinda fatso." Laughed Sirius.

**It must be very late, Harry thought. His eyes were itching with tiredness. Perhaps he'd finish this essay tomorrow night...**

**"**That's it Harry. Stop doing homework. God he must have inherited that from his mother..." Sighed James, earning him a hard jab in the ribs by Lily's elbow.

**He replaced the top of the ink bottle; pulled an old pillowcase from under his bed; put the flashlight, A History of Magic, his essay, quill, and ink inside it; got out of bed; and hid the lot under a loose floorboard under his bed. Then he stood up, stretched, and checked the time on the luminous alarm clock on his bedside table.**

**It was one o'clock in the morning. Harry's stomach gave a funny jolt. He had been thirteen years old, without realising it, for a whole hour.**

**"**Oh so he's going to be in his third year... Cool. Remember that year padfoot. The map?" James asked his friend.

"Yeah..." Sirius got a dazed look in his brilliantly grey eyes. "Good times..."

"What map?" Inquired Lily.

"Nothing dear, nothing" James reassured her. "Continue Remy, dear"

**Yet another unusual thing about Harry was how little he looked forward to his birthdays.**

**"**Aww this is getting outstamding. I cannot believe my sister would do this to her own blood."

**He had never received a birthday card in his life. The Dursleys had completely ignored his last two birthdays, and he had no reason to suppose they would remember this one.**

At this, James narrowed his eyes and began thinking of ways to make his soon-to-be sister-in-law pay...

**Harry walked across the dark room, past Hedwig's large, empty cage, to the open window. He leaned on the sill, the cool night air pleasant on his face after a long time under the blankets. Hedwig had been absent for two nights now. Harry wasn't worried about her: she'd been gone this long before. But he hoped she'd be back soon -- she was the only living creature in this house who didn't flinch at the sight of him.**

James felt the fury build up inside him... How could anyone be so crewel?

**Harry, though still rather small and skinny for his age, had grown a few inches over the last year. His jet-black hair, however, was just as it always had been -- stubbornly untidy, whatever he did to it. **

"Yep. Definitely James' son." Grinned Remus.

**The eyes behind his glasses were bright green,**

"And Lily's." Agreed Peter.

**and on his forehead, clearly visible through his hair, was a thin scar, shaped like a bolt of lightning.**

**"**Now I wonder why that is..." Lily wondered out loud.

**Of all the unusual things about Harry, this scar was the most extraordinary of all. It was not, as the Dursleys had pretended for ten years, a souvenir of the car crash that had killed Harry's parents,**

**"**A car crash? That's ridiculous"

**because Lily and James Potter had not died in a car crash. They had been murdered, murdered by the most feared Dark wizard for a hundred years, Lord Voldemort.**

At this everyone in the rooms jaw dropped. Sirius couldn't believe what he had heard Remus say. James and Lily were gonna be killed? Sirius would not be able to live without his best friends. They were his family, his life. He had to prevent this. Somehow...

"But, w-why? Why would you-know-who want to k-kill us?" Lily asked, burrying her head in James chest.

"I don't know Lil, but I swear I will do anything to protect you guys. Anything." James replied reassuringly.

"How did Harry survive though? No one survives after he decides to kill them... Not even you guys..." Sirius asked, his voice cracking.

**Harry had escaped from the same attack with nothing more than a scar on his forehead, where Voldemort's curse, instead of killing him, had rebounded upon its originator. Barely alive, Voldemort had fled...**

**"**Woah... My son did that?" James said in awe.

**But Harry had come face-to-face with him at Hogwarts. **

**"**Voldemort? At Hogwarts? Dumbledore must really be giving the slack." Cut in Sirius.

"We don't even know if Dumbledore's still alive." Remuas pointed out.

"Oh, yeah" Replied Sirius, sounding very worried.

**Remembering their last meeting as he stood at the dark window, Harry had to admit he was lucky even to have reached his thirteenth birthday.**

Lily looked absolutely shocked to hear that her son had had to face the darkest wizard to have ever existed three times and had lived.

James looked proud.

**He scanned the starry sky for a sign of Hedwig, perhaps soaring back to him with a dead mouse dangling from her beak, expecting praise. Gazing absently over the rooftops, it was a few seconds before Harry realised what he was seeing.**

**Silhouetted against the golden moon, and growing larger every moment, was a large, strangely lopsided creature, and it was flapping in Harry's direction. He stood quite still, watching it sink lower and lower. For a split second he hesitated, his hand on the window latch, wondering whether to slam it shut.**

"Yes Harry. Close the window dear. Who knows what it could be." Cried Lily. None of the Marauders had the heart to tell her he couldn't hear her.

**But then the bizarre creature soared over one of the street lamps of Privet Drive, and Harry, realising what it was, leapt aside.**

**Through the window soared three owls, two of them holding up the third, which appeared to be unconscious. They landed with a soft flump on Harry's bed, and the middle owl, which was large and grey, keeled right over and lay motionless. There was a large package tied to its legs.**

**"**Oh poor thing. I wonder if its still alive." Cooed Lily.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

**Harry recognised the unconscious owl at once -- his name was Errol, and he belonged to the Weasley family. Harry dashed to the bed, untied the cords around Errol's legs, took off the parcel, and then carried Errol to Hedwig's cage. Errol opened one bleary eye, gave a feeble hoot of thanks, and began to gulp some water.**

**"**There you go... It lived" Reassured James.

**Harry turned back to the remaining owls. One of them, the large snowy female, was his own Hedwig.**

"Awww. He has a snowy owl... How nice." Lily again.

**She, too, was carrying a parcel and looked extremely pleased with herself. She gave Harry an affectionate nip with her beak as he removed her burden, then flew across the room to join Errol.**

**Harry didn't recognise the third owl, a handsome tawny one,**

"Hogwarts"The marauders said simultaneously.

"I honestly wonder how you four manage to do that." Lily wondered out loud.

"Do what?" Asked Remus.

"Say the exact same thing at the exact same time... Its like, mind reading or something. How do you guys do that?"

This time it was Sirius who answered, "I dunno. Its like some kind of connection. Who cares."

**but he knew at once where it had come from, because in addition to a third package, it was carrying a letter bearing the Hogwarts crest. When Harry relieved this owl of its burden, it ruffled its feathers importantly, stretched its wings, and took off through the window into the night.**

James smirked. "Told you."

**"**Yup. That a Hogwarts owl alright." Agreed Peter.

**Harry sat down on his bed and grabbed Errol's package, ripped off the brown paper, and discovered a present wrapped in gold, and his first ever birthday card.**

"First ever?? Didn't his friends give him anything the year before?" Lily said, outraged.

James wraped an arm around his wife-to-be. Her mad face and flaming red hair gave her the look that she was on fire.

**Fingers trembling slightly, he opened the envelope. Two pieces of paper fell out -- a letter and a newspaper clipping.**

**The clipping had clearly come out of the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet, because the people in the black-and-white picture were moving. Harry picked up the clipping, smoothed it out, and read:**

**MINISTRY OF MAGIC EMPLOYEE SCOOPS GRAND PRIZE**

**Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw.**

Sirius whistled. "Woah. That's a lot of money."

**A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank."**

"Oh cool." Peter wasn't sure yet of what he wanted to be when he left Hogwarts and any new ideas were more than welcome.

**The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend.**

**Harry scanned the moving photograph, and a grin spread across his face as he saw all nine of the Weasleys waving furiously at him, standing in front of a large pyramid. Plump little Mrs. Weasley; tail, balding Mr. Weasley; six sons; and one daughter, all (though the black-and-white picture didn't show it) with flaming-red hair. **

"Hey. Like you Lil" Noted Remus.

**Right in the middle of the picture was Ron, tall and gangling, with his pet rat, Scabbers, on his shoulder and his arm around his little sister, Ginny.**

**Harry couldn't think of anyone who deserved to win a large pile of gold more than the Weasleys, who were very nice and extremely poor. He picked up Ron's letter and unfolded it.**

**Dear Harry,**

**Happy birthday!**

**Look, I' really sorry about that telephone call. I hope the Muggles didn't give you a hard time. I asked Dad, and he reckons I shouldn't have shouted.**

**It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let Ginny come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff.**

**I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Seven hundred galleons!**

Remus paused. "Wow that IS a lot"

**Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year.**

**Harry remembered only too well the occasion when Ron's old wand had snapped. It had happened when the car the two of them had been flying to Hogwarts had crashed into a tree on the school grounds.**

"What!? Harry Potter you flew a car to school?" Lily looked furious that her son had inherited his fathers nack for getting into trouble but James and Sirius looked downright ecstatic.

"You think it funny that our son flew an enchanted and no doubt illegal car to Hogwarts and crashed into the Womping Willow? Do you like the fact that he cauld have been expelled or worse, arrested? James Harold Potter I am astounded at your wit." At this, Sirius sniggered and Lily rounded on him.

Before she had even said anything, Remus started reading again.

Sirius sighed in relief and Lily sent him a look that clearly said 'dont think this is over!'.

**We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there?**

**Don't let the Muggles get you down!**

**Try and come to London,**

**Ron**

**P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week.**

**Harry glanced back at the photograph. Percy, who was in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, was looking particularly smug. He had pinned his Head Boy badge to the fez perched jauntily on top of his neat hair, his horn-rimmed glasses flashing in the Egyptian sun.**

**"**Ugh. He sounds like a prat." Sirius scowled.

"Hey!" James protested. "What's wrong with being Head Boy?"

"Oh nothing. Nothing at all."

**Harry now turned to his present and unwrapped it. Inside was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top. There was another note from Ron beneath it.**

**Harry -- this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realise Fred and George had put beetles in his soup.**

**Bye --**

**Ron**

The Marauders doubled over with laughter.

"I allready like those Boys." James sighed.

**Harry put the Pocket Sneakoscope on his bedside table, where it stood quite still, balanced on its point, reflecting the luminous hands of his clock. He looked at it happily for a few seconds, then picked up the parcel Hedwig had brought.**

**Inside this, too, there was a wrapped present, a card, and a letter, this time from Hermione.**

**Dear Harry,**

**Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your Uncle Vernon. I do hope you're all right.**

**I'm on holiday in France at the moment and I didn't know how I was going to send this to you -- what if they'd opened it at customs? -- but then Hedwig turned up! I think she wanted to make sure you got something for your birthday for a change. I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world), Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous -- the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating.**

**There's some interesting local history of witchcraft here, too. I've rewritten my whole History of Magic essay to include some of the things I've found out, I hope it's not too long -- it's two rolls of parchment more than Professor Binns asked for.**

"What. A. Nerd. Yup, sorry Lil but she's just like you." Sirius sighed.

Lily scowled at him and said, "Well obviously I would never bother sending any of you an essay I wrote knowing full well you can do it on your own and that you probably wouldn't do it anyway."

**Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your aunt and uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express on September first!**

**Love from Hermione**

**P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's really pleased Ron doesn't seem too happy about it**

**Harry laughed as he put Hermione's letter aside and picked up her present. It was very heavy. Knowing Hermione, he was sure it would be a large book full of very difficult spells**

"Actually I'm starting to think more long the lines of dear Moony here..." Began James.

**-- but it wasn't. His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case, with silver words stamped across it, reading Broomstick Servicing Kit.**

"That's your son allright James... No other like him." Paused Remus.

**"Wow, Hermione!" Harry whispered, unzipping the case to look inside.**

**There was a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of gleaming silver Tall-Twig Clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys, and a Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare.**

**Apart from his friends, the thing that Harry missed most about Hogwarts was Quidditch, the most popular sport in the magical world -- highly dangerous, very exciting, and played on broomsticks. Harry happened to be a very good Quidditch player; he had been the youngest person in a century to be picked for one of the Hogwarts House teams.**

At this James and Sirius began cheering and screaming and congratulating his son that the other three people in the room (Not being much of Quiddich fans) were completely shocked.

**One of Harry's most prized possessions was his Nimbus Two Thousand racing broom.**

"Two Thousand" James' jaw dropped. "Woah that's gotta be the best broom around. We're barely on what? One Thousand Eight Hundred?"

**Harry put the leather case aside and picked up his last parcel. He recognised the untidy scrawl on the brown paper at once: this was from Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper.**

"Oh cool. Hagrids still around" Noted Peter.

**He tore off the top layer of paper and glimpsed something green and leathery, but before he could unwrap it properly, the parcel gave a strange quiver, and whatever was inside it snapped loudly -- as though it had jaws.**

Remus paused for a second and then exclaimed:

"The Monster Book of Monsters!"

James Peter and Sirius looked at him with their eyebrows raised.

"Oh." Said Remus, blushing. "I saw it on display at Flourish and Blotts in August.

**Harry froze. He knew that Hagrid would never send him anything dangerous on purpose, but then, Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous.**

Sigh Right you are Harry, right you are... The Marauders all thought.

**Hagrid had been known to befriend giant spiders, buy vicious, three-headed dogs from men in pubs, and sneak illegal dragon eggs into his cabin.**

"I never thought he'd actually manage to get a dragon." Admitted Peter.

**Harry poked the parcel nervously. It snapped loudly again. Harry reached for the lamp on his bedside table, gripped it firmly in one hand, and raised it over his head, ready to strike.**

"Good job Harry. Be prepared" Lily spoke to her son.

**Then he seized the rest of the wrapping paper in his other hand and pulled.**

**And out fell -- a book. Harry just had time to register its handsome green cover, emblazoned with the golden title The Monster Book of Monsters,**

"Why am I not surprised," Asked Sirius, his voice dripping in sarcasm. "That Moony, of all people knew this?"

**before it flipped onto its edge and scuttled sideways along the bed like some weird crab.**

**"Uh-oh," Harry muttered.**

**The book toppled off the bed with a loud clunk and shuffled rapidly across the room. Harry followed it stealthily. The book was hiding in the dark space under his desk. Praying that the Dursleys were still fast asleep, Harry got down on his hands and knees and reached toward it.**

**"Ouch!"**

**The book snapped shut on his hand and then flapped past him, still scuttling on its covers. Harry scrambled around, threw himself forward, and managed to flatten it. Uncle Vernon gave a loud, sleepy grunt in the room next door.**

**Hedwig and Errol watched interestedly as Harry clamped the struggling book tightly in his arms, hurried to his chest of drawers, and pulled out a belt, which he buckled tightly around it.**

"Smart." Came Lily's voice.

**The Monster Book shuddered angrily, but could no longer flap and snap, so Harry threw it down on the bed and reached for Hagrid's card.**

**Dear Harry,**

**Happy Birthday!**

**Think you might find this useful for next year. Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you. Hope the Muggles are treating you right.**

**All the best,**

**Hagrid**

**It struck Harry as ominous that Hagrid thought a biting book would come in useful, but he put Hagrid's card up next to Ron's and Hermione's, grinning more broadly than ever. Now there was only the letter from Hogwarts left.**

**Noticing that it was rather thicker than usual, Harry slit open the envelope, pulled out the first page of parchment within, and read:**

**Dear Mr. Potter,**

**Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock.**

**Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign.**

**A list of books for next year is enclosed. Yours sincerely,**

**Professor M. McGonagall**

**Deputy Headmistress**

"Oh. I forgot about third year being Hogsmead weekends. I wonder is he's been to Hogsmead before." Peter wondered outloud.

**Harry pulled out the Hogsmeade permission form and looked at it, no longer grinning. It would be wonderful to visit Hogsmeade on weekends; he knew it was an entirely wizarding village, and he had never set foot there.**

"Theres your answer Pete."

**But how on earth was he going to persuade Uncle Vernon or Aunt Petunia to sign the form?**

"Oh they better sign it." Said Lily threateningly.

The boys didn't know she could look so scary.

**He looked over at the alarm clock. It was now two o'clock in the morning.**

**Deciding that he'd worry about the Hogsmeade form when he woke up, Harry got back into bed and reached up to cross off another day on the chart he'd made for himself, counting down the days left until his return to Hogwarts. **

"Oh I can't believe he hates vacation so much he counts down the dayd untill he goes back to Hogwarts. It shouldn't be this way and it wouldn't have if we had raised them. I wonder what we did wrong." Sobbed Lily into James' shoulder.

James grimaced in agreement and ran a hamd through her hair.

**Then he took off his glasses and lay down, eyes open, facing his three birthday cards.**

**Extremely unusual though he was, at that moment Harry Potter felt just like everyone else -- glad, for the first time in his life, that it was his birthday.**

"That's all for tonight folks." Remus sighed as he closed the book.

"But I wanna find out what happens next!" Sirius pouted.

"Well Lily looks too tiered to read and I doubt you three have ever read anything as simple as The Tales of Beedle the Bard so you'll just have to wait for tomorrow."

And with that Remus left the Head's Dormitory and went to bed.

Lily yawned, "I think Remus is right. We should wait till tomorrow. G'Night guys."

"Night Lil."

**A/N: And that concludes the end of the first chapter reading of P.O.A. And I know this chapter got a bit boring but this will also have a bit of the Marauders' lives at hogwars so its like a story about the Marauders and Harry at the same time. Have any tips or comments? Too much Previous Generation Speech? Or too little? Please tell me so I can make my FanFic more enjoyable for you. Thanx.**

**-Haydee**

**And I'm looking for a Beta Reader to edit my chapters cuz I like it better if they're edited. 8-D**


	3. Aunt Marge's Big Mistake

**A/N: Hello people!! Guess what happened? I had a lot of this chapter written out allready and then I forgot to close the file and when I turned my phone off it all got erased... So don't hate me if the chapters bad... And yeah.. I type this up on my phone which is kinda like a mini laptop and I usually only use the internet through it so... Sorry about the bad parts but I forgot what I had written before...**

Chapter Three (2 of POA)

The next morning, James was lying peacefully in his bed, dreaming about taking his son to the Quiddich world cup.

Usually the Marauders would have been up early on a bright Saturday morning at the lake, planning another prank on one of the slytherins but today they had all slept in, due mostly to the fact that they had stayed awake all night discussing the contents of the book they had read the previous night.

The seeker in James' dream had just sprotted the snich, when someone yelled in James' face "Wake up dammit!!"

"Where's the snich!?" Yelled James, and fell out of his bed with a soft 'thump'.

"Honestly Prongs, you thought it was hard getting Padfoot up last year..." Sighed Remus.

"Wha..." Came the muffled reply from James, who had covered his face with a pillow.

"Get your ass off the floor and get dressed. Or should I drag you down to the Quiddich pitch starkers?" Inquired Sirius waving his wand threateningly.

At the mention of his faveorite sport, James yawned and got up. "I should kick you off the team and give the rest of you a weeks worth detention for entering the Heads' quarters without permission."

Sirius merely shrugged, "You gave us the password."

James got up and went into the bathroom to take a shower. When he was done, he slipped into his Quiddich robes, got his Nimbus One Thousand Eight-Hundred and met up with his friends in the common room. Together James and Sirius headed down to the Quiddich pitch.

--

Once back from Quiddich practice, James and Sirius changed into some more cashual clothes and went out looking for their frends. With help from the Marauders' Map of course.

They found Moony in the Library ("No surprise there." Said Sirius.) Lily in her room and Peter was hardest to find.

"Ah, there he is... Oh no, that's Peter Thomas..."

"He's not in the kitchens or the common room or the great hall or outside..." Muttered Remus and then James (being his dramatic self) gasped.

"Oh no! Wormtails gone slimy! What's he doing in the dungeons with Malfoy and Goyle? They've gona and captured him!!" And with that he raced out of the Heads Dorms, yelling, "Don't worry Petey, I'll save you!!" Sirius hot on his heels.

Lily muttered something that sounded a lot like "Boys".

A few minnutes later0 after having taken about three secret passages and sliding down the banister of the stairs James arrived, panting, at the entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Which way now Pads?" He asked.

"Left." Came the breathless reply and James took off once more.

The moment he spotted Peter he yelled. "Peter! Waddya think you're doing??" And Lucious Malfoy yalled back. "Just having a friendly chat with you buddy here. No need to yell, we were done." And he stalked past The Marauders towards the Slytherin common room.

"Hey Pete. You allright? I can still get him from here..." Offered Sirius but Peter simply shook his head. "No its ok. I just ran into him on my way back from potions... Professor Slughorn wanted to ask about, umm, thursday's potion."

"Oh." Sirius looked slightly downcast at not having an excuse to hex 'that arrogant prat', not that he usually needed one.

"Alright you two, quit flirting and lets get back to my place. We've got a book to read." James stated and together they headed back to where Lily and Remus were waiting paitently.

--

Once everyone had settled down in the James' dormitory, Lily took the book and started to read.

**C****HAPTER TWO **

**AUNT MARGE'S BIG MISTAKE**

"Aunt Marge?" Asked Lily. "Must be Vernon's sister..."

**Harry went down to breakfast the next morning to find the three Dursleys already sitting around the kitchen table. They were watching a brand-new television, a welcome-home-for-the-summer present for Dudley, who had been complaining loudly about the long walk between the fridge and the television in the living room.**

"What?? He should see the walk from here to the kitchens..." Complained Peter, agreeing with Dudley.

**Dudley had spent most of the summer in the kitchen, his piggy little eyes fixed on the screen and his five chins wobbling as he ate continually.**

"Five chins? Eww he must be so fat!" Laughed Sirius.

**Harry sat down between Dudley and Uncle Vernon, a large, beefy man with very little neck and a lot of moustache. Far from wishing Harry a happy birthday, none of the Dursleys made any sign that they had noticed Harry enter the room,**

**"**How dare they treat my son that way!" Lily frowned. "Hey Sirius?"

"Yes love?" His cocky reply earning him a hard jab in the chest by James.

"Got any good pranks to play on my Dear Sis?" Lily asked, smiling sweetly.

"Oh yesss... Yes I do..." Replied Sirius, allready planning spectacular pranks to play on Petunia.

**but Harry was far too used to this to care. He helped himself to a piece of toast and then looked up at the reporter on the television, who was halfway through a report on an escaped convict:**

**"... The public is warned that Black is armed and extremely dangerous. A special hot line has been set up, and any sighting of Black should be reported immediately."**

It took a moment for Lily's words to sink in. Did he say Black?

"Black?" James inquired. "As in _Sirius _Black?"

"I dunno James. Maybe its one of my dear cousins..." Sirius replied, looking anxious, thoughtful and curious all at the same time.

**"No need to tell us he's no good," snorted Uncle Vernon, staring over the top of his newspaper at the prisoner. "Look at the state of him, the filthy layabout! Look at his hair!"**

**He shot a nasty look sideways at Harry, whose untidy hair had always been a source of great annoyance to Uncle Vernon.**

**"**What?? The Potter hair is a style to be proud of!" Said James, while ruffleing his hair.

**Compared to the man on the television, however, whose gaunt face was surrounded by a matted, elbow-length tangle, Harry felt very well groomed indeed.**

**"**See James. That can't be out dear Padfoot here. He spends forever doing his hair." Remus cut in.

"Yeah..." Agreed Sirius.

**The reporter had reappeared.**

**"The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries will announce today --"**

**"Hang on!" barked Uncle Vernon, staring furiously at the reporter. "You didn't tell us where that maniac's escaped from! \What use is that? Lunatic could be coming up the street right now!"**

**"**Azkaban" All five said together. It was obvious after all.

**Aunt Petunia, who was bony and horse-faced, whipped around and peered intently out of the kitchen window. Harry knew Aunt Petunia would simply love to be the one to call the hot line number. She was the nosiest woman in the world and spent most of her life spying on the boring, law-abiding ****neighbors.**

**"When will they learn," said Uncle Vernon, pounding the table with his large purple fist, "that hanging's the only way to deal with these people?"**

**"**How rude!" Cried Peter, shocked that anyone could be so cold hearted.

**"Very true," said Aunt Petunia, who was still squinting into next door's runner beans.**

**Uncle Vernon drained his teacup, glanced at his watch, and added, "I'd better be off in a minute, Petunia. Marge's train gets in at ten."**

**Harry, whose thoughts had been upstairs with the Broomstick Servicing Kit, was brought back to earth with an unpleasant bump.**

**"Aunt Marge?" he blurted out. "Sh -- she's not coming here, is she?"**

**Aunt Marge was Uncle Vernon's sister. Even though she was not a blood relative of Harry's (whose mother had been Aunt Petunia's sister),**

"I knew it" muttered Lily.

**he had been forced to call her "Aunt" all his life. Aunt Marge lived in the country, in a house with a large garden, where she bred bulldogs. She didn't often stay at Privet Drive, because she couldn't bear to leave her precious dogs, but each of her visits stood out horribly vividly in Harry's mind.**

"Oh oh. She doesn't sound very nice does she?" Asked Peter.

Lily just kept on reading.

**At Dudley's fifth birthday party, Aunt Margo had whacked Harry around the shins with her walking stick to stop him from beating Dudley at musical statues.**

"What a horrible woman!"

"How dare she!"

"What is that woman's problem?"

**A few years later, she had turned up at Christmas with a computerised robot for Dudley and a box of dog biscuits for Harry. **

"What. A. Bitch." Believe it or not, came from Lily.

**On her last visit, the year before Harry started at Hogwarts, Harry had accidentally trodden on the tail of her favourite dog. Ripper had chased Harry out into the garden and up a tree, and Aunt Marge had refused to call him off until past midnight. The memory of this incident still brought tears of laughter to Dudley's eyes.**

**"**I wonder if that hag knows that Harry's a wizard..." Asked James.

Remus answered this time. "Probably not or she wouldn't have done that stuff... I wonder if Harry's going to do something to her. Maybe that's why its called 'Aunt Marge's Big Mistake'."

**"Marge'll be here for a week," Uncle Vernon snarled, and while we're on the subject" -- he pointed a fat finger threateningly at Harry -- "we need to get a few things straight before I go and collect her."**

"Oooo... Doesn't sound good to me." Came Sirius.

**Dudley smirked and withdrew his gaze from the television. Watching Harry being bullied by Uncle Vernon was Dudley's favourite form of entertainment.**

**"**I really Hate your sisters family Lil. Sorry 'bout that." James sighed.

**"Firstly," growled Uncle Vernon, "you'll keep a civil tongue in your head when you're talking to Marge."**

**"All right," said Harry bitterly, "if she does when she's talking to me.**

"Oh she better not be rude to my baby..." Said Lily, narrowing her eyes in a very evil way.

**"Secondly," said Uncle Vernon, acting as though he had not heard Harry's reply, "as Marge doesn't know anything about your abnormality, I don't want any -- any funny stuff while she's here. You behave yourself, got me?"**

**"I will if she does," said Harry through gritted teeth.**

"You go Harry. Put the bitch in her place." Smiled Sirius.

**"And thirdly," said Uncle Vernon, his mean little eyes now slits in his great purple face, "we've told Marge you attend St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys."**

"What!?" The Marauders yelled.

**"What?" Harry yelled.**

Sirius laughed.

**"And you'll be sticking to that story, boy, or there'll be trouble, spat Uncle Vernon.**

**Harry sat there, white-faced and furious, staring at Uncle Vernon, hardly able to believe it. Aunt Marge coming for a week-long visit -- it was the worst birthday present the Dursleys had ever given him, including that pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks.**

**"**I wonder what they smelled like" Peter mumbled. Then he gasped. "Did I just say that out loud??" He looked horrorstruck and a faint blush crept up his cheeks.

**"Well, Petunia," said Uncle Vernon, getting heavily to his feet, "I'll be off to the station, then. Want to come along for the ride, Dudders?"**

**"No," said Dudley, whose attention had returned to the television now that Uncle Vernon had finished threatening Harry.**

**"Duddy's got to make himself smart for his auntie," said Aunt Petunia, smoothing Dudley's thick blond hair. "Mummy's bought him a lovely new bow tie."**

**Uncle Vernon clapped Dudley on his porky shoulder. "See you in a bit, then," he said, and he left the kitchen.**

**Harry, who had been sitting in a kind of horrified trance, had a sudden idea. Abandoning his toast, he got quickly to his feet and followed Uncle Vernon to the front door.**

**Uncle Vernon was pulling on his car coat.**

**"I'm not taking you," he snarled as he turned to see Harry watching him.**

**"Like I wanted to come," said Harry coldly. "I want to ask you something."**

"The Hogsmead form!" Sirius realized.

"Wow Black. You _do _have brains.

"Oh shut up Evans."

**Uncle Vernon eyed him suspiciously.**

**"Third years at Hog -- at my school are allowed to visit the village sometimes," said Harry.**

**"So?" snapped Uncle Vernon, taking his car keys from a hook next to the door.**

**"I need you to sign the permission form," said Harry in a rush.**

**"And why should I do that?" sneered Uncle Vernon.**

**"Well," said Harry, choosing his words carefully, "it'll be hard work, pretending to Aunt Marge I go to that St. Whatsits --"**

**"St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys!" bellowed Uncle Vernon, and Harry was pleased to hear a definite note of panic in Uncle Vernon's voice.**

"Seems Harry inherited his mother's brains and his father's quick thinking." Remus smirked.

**"Exactly," said Harry, looking calmly up into Uncle Vernon's large, purple face. "It's a lot to remember. I'll have to make it sound convincing, won't I? What if I accidentally let something slip?"**

**"You'll get the stuffing knocked out of you, won't you?" roared Uncle Vernon, advancing on Harry with his fist raised. But Harry stood his ground.**

"If you put a single finger on my son I swear I will set a huge hairy dog and a vicious werewolf on you." James muttered under his breath.

"What?" Asked Lily.

James just motioned for her to keep reading, catching Remus' eye and silently telling him 'Oops! Sorry. Won't happen again!'

**"Knocking the stuffing out of me won't make Aunt Marge forget what I could tell her," he said grimly.**

"Smart Harry, very smart." Sirius said.

**Uncle Vernon stopped, his fist still raised, his face an ugly puce.**

**"But if you sign my permission form," Harry went on quickly, "I swear I'll remember where I'm supposed to go to school, and I'll act like a Mug -- like I'm normal and everything."**

**Harry could tell that Uncle Vernon was thinking it over, even if his teeth were bared and a vein was throbbing in his temple.**

"Sounds scary." Peter whined.

"Don't be a baby Wormtail. He's a muggle." James sighed at his cowardly friend.

**"Right," he snapped finally. "I shall monitor your behaviour carefully during Marge's visit. If, at the end of it, you've toed the line and kept to the story, I'll sign your ruddy form."**

**He wheeled around, pulled open the front door, and slammed it so hard that one of the little panes of glass at the top fell out.**

**Harry didn't return to the kitchen. He went back upstairs to his bedroom. If he was going to act like a real Muggle, he'd better start now. Slowly and sadly he gathered up all his presents and his birthday cards and hid them under the loose floorboard with his homework. Then he went to Hedwig's cage. Errol seemed to have recovered; he and Hedwig were both asleep, heads under their wings. Harry sighed, then poked them both awake.**

**"Hedwig," he said gloomily, "you're going to have to clear off for a week. Go with Errol. Ron'll look after you. I'll write him a note, explaining. And don't look at me like that" -- Hedwig's large amber eyes were reproachful -- "it's not my fault. It's the only way I'll be allowed to visit Hogsmeade with Ron and Hermione."**

"Aww poor Harry" Lily paused, smiling sympathetically.

**Ten minutes later, Errol and Hedwig (who had a note to Ron bound to her leg) soared out of the window and out of sight. Harry, now feeling thoroughly miserable, put the empty cage away inside the wardrobe.**

**But Harry didn't have long to brood. In next to no time, Aunt Petunia was shrieking up the stairs for Harry to come down and get ready to welcome their guest.**

**"Do something about your hair!" Aunt Petunia snapped as he reached the hall.**

"Like that'll ever work." James muttered knowingly, ruffleing his own hair.

**Harry couldn't see the point of trying to make his hair lie flat.**

"Ah. He's mastered the Potter hair mentality. Good job Harry." Sirius smiled, looking at his best friends messy hair.

**Aunt Marge loved criticising him, so the untidier he looked, the happier she would be.**

**All too soon, there was a crunch of gravel outside as Uncle Vernon's car pulled back into the driveway, then the clunk of the car doors and footsteps on the garden path.**

**"Get the door!" Aunt Petunia hissed at Harry.**

**A feeling of great gloom in his stomach, Harry pulled the door open.**

**On the threshold stood Aunt Marge. She was very like Uncle Vernon: large, beefy, and purple- faced, she even had a moustache, though not as bushy as his.**

"Sounds like my Gran." Sirius scowled.

**In one hand she held an enormous suitcase, and tucked under the other was an old and evil-tempered bulldog.**

"Oh, she better not let that thing near Harry..." Lily frowned.

**"Where's my Dudders?" roared Aunt Marge. "Where's my neffy-poo?"**

The Marauders cracked up and even Lily had to supress a grin. "Neffy-Poo?" Sirius' bark like laughter echoed off the walls of James' room.

**Dudley came waddling down the hall, his blond hair plastered flat to his fat head, a bow tie just visible under his many chins. Aunt Marge thrust the suitcase into Harry's stomach, knocking the wind out of him, seized Dudley in a tight one-armed hug, and planted a large kiss on his cheek.**

**Harry knew perfectly well that Dudley only put up with Aunt Marge's hugs because he was well paid for it, and sure enough, when they broke apart, Dudley had a crisp twenty-pound note clutched in his fat fist.**

"We should hex Dursley's balls off so he won't be able tomake this monster." Sirius threatened. "Ah Paddy. That would be wonderful." Cames James' reply.

**"Petunia!" shouted Aunt Marge, striding past Harry as though he was a hat stand. Aunt Marge and Aunt Petunia kissed, or rather, Aunt Marge bumped her large jaw against Aunt Petunia's bony cheekbone.**

**Uncle Vernon now came in, smiling jovially as he shut the door.**

**"Tea, Marge?" he said. "And what will Ripper take?"**

**"Ripper can have some tea out of my saucer," said Aunt Marge as they all proceeded into the kitchen, leaving Harry alone in the hall with the suitcase. But Harry wasn't complaining; any excuse not to be with Aunt Marge was fine by him, so he began to heave the case upstairs into the spare bedroom, taking as long as he could.**

"They treat him like a house-elf. And here you were complaining about humans treating houseFelves injustly. Muggles threat other humans that way too!" Sirius said pointedly at Lily.

"Yeah, whatever."

**By the time he got back to the kitchen, Aunt Marge had been supplied with tea and fruitcake, and Ripper was lapping noisily in the corner. Harry saw Aunt Petunia wince slightly as specks of tea and drool flecked her clean floor. Aunt Petunia hated animals.**

"Yeah, shes such a clean freak I dunno how Vernon convinced her to let the dog in." Lily shook her head at her sister and her family.

**"Who's looking after the other dogs, Marge?" Uncle Vernon asked.**

**"Oh, I've got Colonel Fubster managing them," boomed Aunt Marge. "He's retired now, good for him to have something to do. But I couldn't leave poor old Ripper. He pines if he's away from me."**

**Ripper began to growl again as Harry sat down. This directed Aunt Marge's attention to Harry for the first time.**

**"So!" she barked. "Still here, are you?"**

**"Yes," said Harry.**

**"Don't you say yes' in that ungrateful tone," Aunt Marge growled. "It's damn good of Vernon and Petunia to keep you. Wouldn't have done it myself. You'd have gone straight to an orphanage if you'd been dumped on my doorstep."**

"I really don't like this woman." Sighed Remus.

"Do any of us?" Peter asked rhetorically.

**Harry was bursting to say that he'd rather live in an orphanage than with the Dursleys, but the thought of the Hogsmeade form stopped him. He forced his face into a painful smile.**

**"Don't you smirk at me!" boomed Aunt Marge. "I can see you haven't improved since I last saw you. I hoped school would knock some manners into you." She took a large gulp of tea, wiped her moustache, and said, "Where is it that you send him, again, Vernon?"**

**"St. Brutus's," said Uncle Vernon promptly. "It's a first-rate institution for hopeless cases."**

**"I see," said Aunt Marge. "Do they use the cane at St. Brutus's, boy?" she barked across the table.**

**"Er --"**

**Uncle Vernon nodded curtly behind Aunt Marge's back.**

**"Yes," said Harry. Then, feeling he might as well do the thing properly, he added, "all the time."**

**"Excellent," said Aunt Marge. "I won't have this namby-pamby, wishy-washy nonsense about not hitting people who deserve it. A good thrashing is what's needed in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. Have you been beaten often?"**

**"**He better not have." James made a fist.

**"Oh, yeah," said Harry, "loads of times."**

**Aunt Marge narrowed her eyes.**

**"I still don't like your tone, boy," she said. "If you can speak of your beatings in that casual way, they clearly aren't hitting you hard enough. Petunia, I'd write if I were you. Make it clear that you approve the use of extreme force in this boy's case."**

"I cannot believe how evil and heartless and bitchy and horrible this woman is!" How could she tell someone to beat another person so calmy?" Peter asked, shocked.

**Perhaps Uncle Vernon was worried that Harry might forget their bargain; in any case, he changed the subject abruptly.**

**"Heard the news this morning, Marge? What about that escaped prisoner, eh?"**

Everyonr looked at Sirius at the mention of the escaped Black.

He simply gritted his teeth and ignored them.

**As Aunt Marge started to make herself at home, Harry caught himself thinking almost longingly of life at number four without her. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia usually encouraged Harry to stay out of their way, which Harry was only too happy to do. Aunt Marge, on the other hand, wanted Harry under her eye at all times, so that she could boom out suggestions for his improvement. She delighted in comparing Harry with Dudley, and took huge pleasure in buying Dudley expensive presents while glaring at Harry, as though daring him to ask why he hadn't got a present too. She also kept throwing out dark hints about what made Harry such an unsatisfactory person.**

**"You mustn't blame yourself for the way the boy's turned out, Vernon," she said over lunch on the third day. "If there's something rotten on the inside, there's nothing anyone can do about it."**

"My beautiful son will never sink as low as you you hag!" Lily cried indignantly. "If theres ever a rotten family it yours!"

"Damn Lily. So harsh." Sirius scolded.

**Harry tried to concentrate on his food, but his hands shook and his face was starting to burn with anger. Remember the form, he told himself Think about Hogsmeade. Don't say anything. Don't rise**

**Aunt Marge reached for her glass of wine.**

**"It's one of the basic rules of breeding," she said. "You see it all the time with dogs. If there's something wrong with the bitch, there'll be something wrong with the pup --"**

"Oh oh.**"**

**At that moment, the wineglass Aunt Marge was holding exploded in her hand. Shards of glass flew in every direction and Aunt Marge sputtered and blinked, her great ruddy face dripping.**

"Woo! Go Harry!" Remus cried. "Showed her!"

**"Marge!" squealed Aunt Petunia. "Marge, are you all right?"**

**"Not to worry," grunted Aunt Marge, mopping her face with her napkin. "Must have squeezed it too hard. Did the same thing at Colonel Fubster's the other day. No need to fuss, Petunia, I have a very firm grip..."**

**But Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were both looking at Harry suspiciously, so he decided he'd better skip dessert and escape from the table as soon as he could.**

**Outside in the hall, he leaned against the wall, breathing deeply It had been a long time since he'd lost control and made something explode. He couldn't afford to let it happen again. The Hogsmeade form wasn't the only thing at stake -- if he carried on like that, he'd be in trouble with the Ministry of Magic.**

"Oh yeah I forgot about that." James winced at the thought of his son being expelled.

**Harry was still an underage wizard, and he was forbidden by wizard law to do magic outside school. His record wasn't exactly clean either. Only last summer he'd gotten an official warning that had stated quite clearly that if the Ministry got wind of any more magic in Privet Drive, Harry would face expulsion from Hogwarts.**

"He used magic?? What was he thinking. He could have been expelled!!" Lily cried. "Bad Harry! Don't you ever do that again!"

**He heard the Dursleys leaving the table and hurried upstairs out of the way.**

**Harry got through the next three days by forcing himself to think about his Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare whenever Aunt Marge started on him. This worked quite well, though it seemed to give him a glazed look, because Aunt Marge started voicing the opinion that he was mentally subnormal.**

Sirius snorted.

**At last, at long last, the final evening of Marge's stay arrived. Aunt Petunia cooked a fancy dinner and Uncle Vernon uncorked several bottles of wine. They got all the way through the soup and the salmon without a single mention of Harry's faults; during the lemon meringue pie, Uncle Vernon bored them ****all with a long talk about Grunnings, his drill-making company; then Aunt Petunia made coffee and Uncle Vernon brought out a bottle of brandy.**

**"Can I tempt you, Marge?"**

**Aunt Marge had already had quite a lot of wine. Her huge face was very red.**

**"Just a small one, then," she chuckled. "A bit more than that... and a bit more... that's the ticket."**

"I wonder how much shes had allready?" Remus said thoughtfully. "Drunk mad ladies don't sound very good for harry at the moment."

**Dudley was eating his fourth slice of pie. Aunt Petunia was sipping coffee with her little finger sticking out. Harry really wanted to disappear into his bedroom, but he met Uncle Vernon's angry little eyes and knew he would have to sit it out.**

"Hope he manages to stay calm..." James said, worried.

**"Aah," said Aunt Marge, smacking her lips and putting the empty brandy glass back down. "Excellent nosh, Petunia. It's normally just a fry-up for me of an evening, with twelve dogs to look after..." She burped richly and patted her great tweed stomach.**

"Ewww..."

**"Pardon me. But I do like to see a healthy-sized boy," she went on, winking at Dudley. "You'll be a proper-sized man, Dudders, like your father. Yes, I'll have a spot more brandy, Vernon..."**

**"Now, this one here --"**

"Aww can't you leave my son alone for at least five minutes?" James complained. His girlfriend and friends just shushed him.

**She jerked her head at Harry, who felt his stomach clench. The Handbook, he thought quickly.**

**"This one's got a mean, runty look about him. You get that with dogs. I had Colonel Fubster drown one last year. Ratty little thing it was - Weak. Underbred."**

"Don't you call my son weak. He defeated the darkest wizard of the age before he could even talk." Lily snarled.

**Harry was trying to remember page twelve of his book: A Charm to Cure Reluctant Reversers. "It all comes down to blood, as I was saying the other day.**

**Bad blood will out. Now, I'm saying nothing against your family, Petunia" she patted Aunt Petunia's bony hand with her shovel-like one "but your sister was a bad egg. They turn up in the best families. Then she ran off with a wastrel and here's the result right in front of us."**

Here, James just glared at the book as though it was responsible for his family's misfortune.

**Harry was staring at his plate, a funny ringing in his ears. Grasp your broom firmly by the tail, he thought. But he couldn't remember what came next. Aunt Marge's voice seemed to be boring into him like one of Uncle Vernon's drills.**

**"This Potter," said Aunt Marge loudly, seizing the brandy bottle and splashing more into her glass and over the tablecloth, "you never told me what he did?"**

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were looking extremely tense. Dudley had even looked up from his pie to gape at his parents.**

**"He -- didn't work," said Uncle Vernon, with half a glance at Harry. "Unemployed."**

"What?? I was probably the best auror ever! After Mad-Eye of course." James fumed. "I dunno what their problem is... God!"

**"As I expected!" said Aunt Marge, taking a huge swig of brandy and wiping her chin on her sleeve. "A no-account, good-for-nothing, lazy scrounger who --"**

**"He was not," said Harry suddenly. **

Yeah Harry. James thought, defend your parents.

**The table went very quiet. Harry was shaking all over. He had never felt so angry in his life.**

**"MORE BRANDY!" yelled Uncle Vernon, who had gone very white. He emptied the bottle into Aunt Marge's glass. "You, boy," he snarled at Harry. "Go to bed, go on --"**

**"No, Vernon," hiccuped Aunt Marge, holding up a hand, her tiny bloodshot eyes fixed on Harry's. "Go on, boy, go on. Proud of your parents, are you? They go and get themselves killed in a car crash (drunk, I expect) --"**

**'They didn't die in a car crash!" said Harry, who found himself on his feet.**

"Oh no." Lily whispered.

**"They died in a car crash, you nasty little liar, and left you to be a burden on their decent, hardworking relatives!" **

"Decent? Hardworking? Yeah like they would have been our first choice." James snorted.

**screamed Aunt Marge, swelling with fury. "You are an insolent, ungrateful little --"**

**But Aunt Marge suddenly stopped speaking. For a moment, it looked as though words had failed her. She seemed to be swelling with inexpressible anger -- but the swelling didn't stop. Her great red face started to expand, her tiny eyes bulged, and her mouth stretched too tightly for speech -- next second, several buttons had just burst from her tweed jacket and pinged off the walls -- she was inflating like a monstrous balloon, her stomach bursting free of her tweed waistband, each of her fingers blowing up like a salami --**

"Woah. Why didn't we ever think of that for a prank? I wonder what spell he used." Sirius said, awed.

**"MARGE!" yelled Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia together as Aunt Marge's whole body began to rise off her chair toward the ceiling. She was entirely round, now, like a vast life buoy with piggy eyes, and her hands and feet stuck out weirdly as she drifted up into the air, making apoplectic popping noises. Ripper came skidding into the room, barking madly.**

**"NOOOOOOO!"**

**Uncle Vernon seized one of Marge's feet and tried to pull her down again, but was almost lifted from the floor himself. A second later, Ripper leapt forward and sank his teeth into Uncle Vernon's leg.**

"Ouch!"

**Harry tore from the dining room before anyone could stop him, heading for the cupboard under the stairs. The cupboard door burst magically open as he reached it. In seconds, he had heaved his trunk to the front door. He sprinted upstairs and threw himself under the bed, wrenching up the loose floorboard, and grabbed the pillowcase full of his books and birthday presents. He wriggled out, seized Hedwig's empty cage, and dashed back downstairs to his trunk, just as Uncle Vernon burst out of the dining room, his trouser leg in bloody tatters.**

"I wonder where he's gonna go." Peter was biting his fingernails.

**"COME BACK IN HERE!" he bellowed. "COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!"**

**But a reckless rage had come over Harry. He kicked his trunk open, pulled out his wand, and pointed it at Uncle Vernon.**

**"**Yeah. Defend yourself."

**"She deserved it," Harry said, breathing very fast. "She deserved what she got. You keep away from me."**

**He fumbled behind him for the latch on the door.**

**"I'm going," Harry said. "I've had enough."**

"No Harry, don't leave the house." Lily urged her son.

**And in the next moment, he was out in the dark, quiet street, heaving his heavy trunk behind him, Hedwig's cage under his arm.**

"Like you Pads." Remus laughed. "He hates his family and runs away. Hmmm, I wonder where he'll go though." He added thoughtfully.

"Yeah." Agreed Sirius.

"No, no, no" Lily shook her head. "You shouldn't have run away. Even though they were horrible you were safe with them." She burried her face in her hands.

"Awww. He'll be ok Lil. After all, the book _is_ about him and we're only on the second chapter. He'll be fine." James reassured her.

"God they haven't even announced being a couple yet and they're already worrying about their thirteen year old son..." Sirius sighed dramatically, as if it was the most hopeless case in the world.

**A/N: Ok. Here's the second version of chapter three. Sorry it doesn't seem to go that smoothly but annoying people on the bus kept nagging me and stealing my trains of thought. Oh well.**** Anyway. Next chapter should be out tomoroow or the next day. If and only if I get three reviews and they have to say something productive. Not like 'HI its cool bye!' cuz that doesn't help at all. And I will mention ppl that help me out so... Yeah. Now... Hit that little button and tell me what you think.**

**-Haydee**

**P.S. I was wondering: what should I do when the Marauders find out about Sirius betraying them. I was thinking I could do a bit of James hating him and Lily feeling like 'well he hasn't done anything yet so lets not be mean' being the nice understanding person she is... Ya know?... But I dunno... **

**And also wen it says about Remy being a werewolf Lily should be reading so she'll know... And the animagus part too... And that's it. Review plez. Thanx :D**


	4. The Night Bus

**A/N: Hey there! Ok well I'm taking **_**Litara's**_** advice of Sirius reading this chapter. **

**Ok. Well I got a billion emails telling me that ppl had added me to fave author or author alert and story alerts but not that many reviews. Like forty ppl read the chapter and only a few ppl reviewed. So sad...**

**ANYWAY...**

**The wonderful people who brought you this chapter (by reviewing) are:**

**Litara**

**Starlitenite28**

**World peace (woo! I like your name!)**

**Tonks-713**

**suz**

**Snuffles-Sweetie (who didn't leave till midday, for those of you who've read 'The Marauders and Me')**

**Snowtigress-27 (Who btw I love your username cuz tigers are my fave animals and especially the white ones.)**

**AND...**

**My friend!! Even though she didn't review she is my buddy from school and emailed me to tell me it was good and pointed out some mistakes. **

**:D thanx 4 reviewin ppl!!**

**Lol I'm hyper.**

**Here goes.**

**-Haydee**

Chapter Four (Three of POA)

"Someone else read now." Lily said. "My voice is tired."

"I'll read!" Sirius volunteered enthusiastically.

"Blimey, mate. Do you even know how?" Remus teased.

"Oh. Hush." He replied and began to read.

**CHAPTER THREE **

**THE KNIGHT BUS**

Sirius paused and Remus looked at him pointedly.

"I hate that bus" The dog muttered.

**Harry was several streets away before he collapsed onto a low wall in Magnolia Crescent, panting from the effort of dragging his trunk. He sat quite still, anger still surging through him, listening to the frantic thumping of his heart.**

**But after ten minutes alone in the dark street, a new emotion overtook him: panic. **

Sirius paused again. "Sigh. That's how I felt when I ran away last summer."

"Yeah, yeah. We know. Now can you keep reading or should I for you?" James growled.

**W****hichever way he looked at it, he had never been in a worse fix. He was stranded, quite alone, in the dark Muggle world, with absolutely nowhere to go. And the worst of it was, he had just done serious magic, which meant that he was almost certainly expelled from Hogwarts. He had broken the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry so badly, he was surprised Ministry of Magic representatives weren't swooping down on him where he sat.**

**Harry shivered and looked up and down Magnolia Crescent.**

**What, was going to happen to him? Would he be arrested, or would he simply be outlawed from the wizarding world? He thought of Ron and Hermione, and his heart sank even lower. Harry was sure that, criminal or not, Ron and Hermione would want to help him now, but they were both abroad, and with Hedwig gone, he had no means of contacting them.**

**"**Not very smart of him to tell her to leave." Peter shook his head.

**H****e didn't have any Muggle money, either. There was a little wizard gold in the money bag at the bottom of his trunk, but the rest of the fortune his parents had left him **

**"**Fortune? Fortune? Wow Lil we must have been rich." James smiled. "I wonder where we got it."

"Ehm. I dunno James. Maybe you inherited it from your rich parents?" Came Remus' smart reply.

"Oh. Right."

**w****as stored in a vault at Gringotts Wizarding Bank in London. He'd never be able to drag his trunk all the way to London. Unless...**

**He looked down at his wand, which he was still clutching in his hand. If he was already expelled (his heart was. now thumping painfully fast), a bit more magic couldn't hurt. He had the Invisibility Cloak he had inherited from his father -- **

"He got the cloak? Cool. I wonder what kind of trouble he gets in with it." Peter asked.

Lily rolled her eyes and said something under her breath that sounded a lot like "Boys..."

**w****hat if he bewitched the trunk to make it feather-light, tied it to his broomstick, covered himself in the cloak, and flew to London? Then he could get the rest of his money out of his vault and... begin his life as an outcast. **

"No Harry. Don't do that. You're an honest man, no matter how much of your father's ignorance and stupidity you got." Lily spoke softly to her son, who could not hear.

"Yeah." Agreed James, obviously not realizing what had been said.

**I****t was a horrible prospect, but he couldn't sit on this wall forever, or he'd find himself trying to explain to Muggle police why he was out in the dead of night with a trunkful of spellbooks and a broomstick.**

**"**Hey!" James interrupted, realizing what had been said before.

"And he proves me right once more." Lily laughed.

**H****arry opened his trunk again and pushed the contents aside, looking for the Invisibility Cloak - but before he had found it, he straightened up suddenly, looking around him once more.**

**A funny prickling on the back of his neck **

"Oooo I get that when I'm being watched." James commented.

**h****ad made Harry feel he was being watched, but the street appeared to be deserted, and no lights shone from any of the large square houses.**

**He bent over his trunk again, but almost immediately stood up once more, his hand clenched on his wand. He had sensed rather than heard it: someone or something was standing in the narrow gap between the garage and the fence behind him. Harry squinted at the black alleyway. If only it would move, then he'd know whether it was just a stray cat or -- something else.**

**"Lumos," Harry muttered, and a light appeared at the end of his wand, almost dazzling him. He held it high over his head, and the pebble-dashed walls of number two suddenly sparkled; the garage door gleamed, and between them Harry saw, quite distinctly, the hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes.**

**Harry stepped backward. His legs hit his trunk and he tripped. His wand flew out of his hand as he flung out an arm to break his fall, and he landed, hard, in the gutter --**

**There was a deafening BANG, and Harry threw up his hands to shield his eyes against a sudden blinding light --**

**With a yell, he rolled back onto the pavement, just in time. A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt exactly where Harry had just been lying. **

**"**The Night Bus." Remus understood. "There goes the chapter name."

**they**** belonged, as Harry saw when he raised his head, to a triple-decker, violently purple bus, which had appeared out of thin air. Gold lettering over the windshield spelled The Knight Bus.**

**For a Split second, Harry wondered if he had been knocked silly by his fall. **

"No. You stuck out your wand arm and that called it." James sighed mad at his in-law's for not teaching his son about the wizarding world.

**Then a conductor in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and began to speak loudly to the night.**

**"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. just stick out your wand hand, step on board) and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this eve --"**

"Shunpike? Isn't there a hufflepuff bloke names Shunpike? He graduated last year?" Sirius asked.

The others just glared at him.

"Ok ok. I'm reading."

**The conductor stopped abruptly. He had just caught sight of "Harry, who was still sitting on the ground. Harry snatched up his wand again and scrambled to his feet. Close up, he saw that Stan Shunpike was only a few years older than he was, eighteen or nineteen at most, with large, protruding ears and quite a few pimples.**

**"What were you doin' down there?" said Stan, dropping his professional manner.**

**"Fell over," said Harry.**

**"'Choo fall over for?" sniggered Stan.**

**"**He didn't do it on purpose." James said.

**"I didn't do it on purpose," said Harry, annoyed. One of the knees in his jeans was torn, and the hand he had thrown out to break his fall was bleeding. He suddenly remembered why he had fallen over and turned around quickly to stare at the alleyway between the garage and fence. The Knight Bus's headlamps were flooding it with light, and it was empty.**

**"'Choo lookin' at?" said Stan.**

"The thing." Peter muttered.

**"There was a big black thing," said Harry, pointing uncertainly into the gap. "Like a dog... but massive..."**

Here, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter exchanged knowing glances. Sirius' animigus form was a massive dog.

**He looked a-round at Stan, whose mouth was slightly open. With a feeling of unease, Harry saw Stan's eyes move to the scar on Harry's forehead.**

**"Woss that on your 'ead?" said Stan abruptly.**

**"Nothing," said Harry quickly, flattening his hair over his scar. If the Ministry of Magic was looking for him, he didn't want to make it too easy for them.**

"Smart." Remus

**"Woss your name?" Stan persisted.**

**"Neville Longbottom," said Harry, saying the first name that came into his head. "So -- so this bus," he went on quickly, hoping to distract Stan, "did you say it goes anywhere?"**

"So Frank and Alice had kids?" Lily said excitedly.

"It might not be Alice's." Remus pointed out.

"It is. Alice told me what she was going to name her kids, and Neville was first for the boys'"

"Whatever."

**"Yep," said Stan proudly, "anywhere you like, long's it's on land. Can't do nuffink underwater. 'Ere," he said, looking suspicious again, ,You did flag us down, dincha? Stuck out your wand 'and, dincha?"**

**"Yes," said Harry quickly. "Listen, how much would it be to get to London?"**

**"Eleven Sickles," said Stan, "but for f****ourteen you get 'or chocolate, and for fifteen you get an 'ot water bottle an' a toofbrush in the color of your choice."**

"What a rip off!" James cried. "They've raised the price by seven sickles in like fifteen years! That's absurd!"

"Yeah." Agreed Sirius. "Stick to the outcast plan." Lily smacked him.

"Wha' was tha' for?" Don't encourage my son to do horrible things ever again. You hear me?" No one knew Lily could be so scary.

Sirius nodded and kept reading.

**Harry rummaged once more in his trunk, extracted his money bag, and shoved some gold into Stan's hand. He and Stan then lifted his trunk, with Hedwig's cage balanced on top, up the steps of the bus.**

**There were no seats; instead, half a dozen brass bedsteads stood beside the curtained windows. Candles were burning in brackets beside each bed, illuminating the wood-panelled walls. A tiny wizard in a night-cap at the rear of the bus muttered, "Not now, thanks, I'm pickling some slugs" and rolled over in his sleep.**

James snickered.

**"You 'ave this one," Stan whispered, shoving Harry's trunk under the bed right behind the driver, who was sitting in an armchair in front of the steering wheel. "This is our driver, Ernie Prang. This ,is Neville Longbottom, Ern. "**

**Ernie Prang, an elderly wizard wearing very thick glasses, nodded to Harry, who nervously flattened his bangs again and sat down on his bed.**

**"Take 'er away, Ern," said Stan, sitting down in the armchair next to Ernie's.**

**There was another tremendous BANG, and the next moment Harry found himself flat on his bed, thrown backward by the speed of the Knight Bus. Pulling himself up, Harry stared out of the dark window and saw that they were now bowling along a completely different street. Stan was watching Harry's stunned face with great enjoyment.**

"That's where they were before Harry called them. I've heard they use some kind of apparation but without the suffocating sensation and instead it gives off a loud BA-" Remus began, not being able to resist the urge to share his immense knowledge but he was cut off by James' silencing spell.

**"This is where we was before you flagged us down," he said. "Where are we, Ern? Somewhere in Wales?"**

**"Ar," said Ernie.**

**"How come the Muggles don't hear the bus?" said Harry.**

**"Them!" said Stan contemptuously. "Don' listen properly, do they? Don' look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'."**

"Right you are Stan..." Sirius told himself.

**"Best go wake up Madam Marsh, Stan," said Ern. "We'll be in Abergavenny in a minute."**

**Stan passed Harry's bed and disappeared up a narrow wooden staircase. Harry was still looking out of the window, feeling increasingly nervous. Ernie didn't seem to have mastered the use of a steering wheel. The Knight Bus kept mounting the pavement, but it didn't hit anything; lines of lampposts, mailboxes, and trash cans jumped out of its way as it approached and back into position once it had passed.**

**Stan came back downstairs, followed by a faintly green witch wrapped in a travelling cloak.**

**"'Ere you go, Madam Marsh," said Stan happily as Ern stamped on the brake and the beds slid a foot or so toward the front of the bus. Madam Marsh clamped a handkerchief to her mouth and tottered down the steps. Stan threw her bag out after her and rammed the doors shut; there was another loud BANG, and they were thundering down a narrow country lane, trees leaping out of the way.**

**Harry wouldn't have been able to sleep even if he had been travelling on a bus that didn't keep banging loudly and jumping a hundred miles at a time. His stomach churned as he fell back to wondering what was going to happen to him, and whether the Dursleys had managed to get Aunt Marge off the ceiling yet.**

James and Sirius cracked up at the memory.

"We need to figure out how to blow Snivellus like that..."

**Stan had unfurled a copy of the Daily Prophet and was now reading with his tongue between his teeth. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair blinked slowly at Harry from the front page. He looked strangely familiar.**

"The Black guy." Peter said.

**"That man!" Harry said, forgetting his troubles for a moment. "He was on the Muggle news!"**

**Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled.**

Here Sirius paused. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The page clearly said _Sirius_ Black but he couldn't believe he had done something bad enough to end up in Azkaban. And that he escaped. That was impossible.

And what would his friends say. Would they desert him for something he hadn't done yet? Would James still love him like a brother? Sirius couldn't imagine life without his best friends. He didn't want this book to be the end of their friendship.

"Woo hoo? Anyone in there?" James banged on Sirius' head.

"I-I... You r-read... C-can't." Sirius choked out.

James took the book out of Sirius' hands.

**"Sirius Black," he said, nodding. "'Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Neville, where you been?"**

Everyone turned to look at Sirius.

"What did you do that landed you in Azkaban mate?" Peter asked.

"I dunno..."

**He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Harry's face, removed the front page, and handed it to Harry.**

**"You oughta read the papers more, Neville."**

**Harry held the paper up to the candlelight and read:**

Everyone leaned forward, not wanting to miss a word.

**BLACK STILL AT LARGE**

**Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.**

**"We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."**

**Fudge has been ****criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.**

**"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it-who'd believe him if he did?"**

**While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.**

This was followed by the longest silence of Sirius' life.

Minutes or hours or days must have passed by as the five seventeen year olds just sat there in silence. Not being able to comprehend what had been read. James looked Livid.

"Thirteen people? _Thirteen fucking people _Sirius?" He asked. Anger and hurting visible in his eyes. "What happened to you mate?"

Sirius could merely shake his head, resisting the urge to cry.

Lily, being the girl, noticed this first and hugged Sirius like a big sister. A loving caring hug that said she'd be there for him always no matter what. Sirius had never felt so scared and sad and mad. How could his future self do that? And _Why_? Sirius wasn't like his family, he didn't kill muggles for fun, he didn't cringe at the sight of them. Sirius didn't have a problem with muggles.

James glared at Sirius and kept reading.

**Harry looked into the shadowed eyes of Sirius Black, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive. Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in his ****Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one.**

Usually someone would have laughed at this comment, but the gloomy atmosphere didn't give anyone the urge to laugh.

**"Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan, who had been watching Harry read.**

**"He murdered thirteen people?" said Harry, handing the page back to Stan, "with one curse?"**

**"Yep," said Stan, "in front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"**

**"Ar," said Ern darkly.**

**Stan swivelled in his armchair, his hands on the back, the better to look at Harry.**

**"Black woz a big supporter of You-Know-'Oo," he said.**

"No!" Sirius couldn't take it anymore. He was sick of being accused of all this. He would never even in his worst nightmares betray his friend by joining Voldemorts ranks. He wasn't like that.

He got up to leave the room but Lily pulled him back down. "There there... Its ok. You haven't done anything yet... Shh..."

By now, Sirius' tears flowed freely and he sobbed like a baby.

The glare James was sending his way would have given Voldemort a run for his money and Sirius was hurt that his friend would believe Sirius to do such a thing.

**"What, Voldemort?" said Harry, without thinking.**

Every cringed at the name.

**Even Stan's pimples went white; Ern jerked the steering wheel so hard that a whole farmhouse had to jump aside to avoid the bus.**

**"You outta your tree?" yelped Stan. "'Choo say 'is name for?"**

**"Sorry," said Harry hastily. "Sorry, I -- I forgot --"**

**"Forgot!" said Stan weakly. "Blimey, my 'eart's goin' that fast ..."**

**"So -- so Black was a supporter of You-Know-Who?" Harry prompted apologetically.**

**"Yeah," said Stan, still rubbing his chest. "Yeah, that's right. Very close to You-Know-'Oo, they say. Anyway, when little 'Arry Potter got the better of You-Know-'Oo --"**

**Harry nervously flattened his bangs down again.**

**"-- all You-Know-'Oo's supporters was tracked down, wasn't they, Ern? Most of 'em knew it was all over, wiv You-Know-'Oo gone, and they came quiet. But not Sirius Black. I 'eard he thought 'e'd be second-in-command once You-Know-'Oo 'ad taken over.**

"What?" Remus' cries finally broke through James' silencing spell.

"That's Bull shit! The Ministry and That Shunpike are full of shit." Remus said. "You'd never join him Padfoot. I know you wouldn't." And Sirius was glad at least one of his friends believed him.

**"Anyway, they cornered Black in the middle of a street full of Muggles an' Black took out 'is wand and 'e blasted 'alf the street apart, an' a wizard got it, an' so did a dozen Muggles what got in the way. 'Orrible, eh? An' you know what Black did then?" Stan continued in a dramatic whisper.**

**"What?" said Harry.**

**"Laughed," said Stan. "Jus' stood there an' laughed. An' when reinforcements from the Ministry of Magic got there, I 'e went wiv em quiet as anyfink, still laughing 'is 'ead off. 'Cos 'e's mad, inee, Ern? Inee mad?"**

Remus shook his head in disbelief.

**"If he weren't when he went to Azkaban, he will be now," said Ern in his slow voice. "I'd blow ****myself up before I set foot in that place. Serves him right, mind you ... after what he did..."**

**"They 'ad a job coverin' it up, din' they, Ern?" Stan said. "'Ole street blown up an' all them Muggles dead. What was it they said ad 'appened, Ern?"**

**"Gas explosion," grunted Ernie.**

**"An' now 'e's out," said Stan, examining the newspaper picture of Black's gaunt face again. "Never been a breakout from Azkaban before, 'as there, Ern? Beats me 'ow 'e did it. Frightenin', eh? Mind, I don't fancy 'is chances against them Azkaban guards, eh, Ern?"**

Everyone in the room shivered.

**Ernie suddenly shivered.**

**"Talk about summat else, Stan, there's a good lad. Them Azkaban guards give me the collywobbles."**

**Stan put the paper away reluctantly, and Harry leaned against the window of the Knight Bus, feeling worse than ever. He couldn't help imagining what Stan might be telling his passengers in a few nights' time.**

**"'Ear about that 'Arry Potter? Blew up 'is aunt! We 'ad 'im 'ere on the Knight Bus, di'n't we, Ern? 'E was tryin' I to run for it..."**

**He, Harry, had broken wizard law just like Sirius Black. Was inflating Aunt Marge bad enough to land him in Azkaban? Harry didn't know anything about the wizard prison, though everyone he'd ever heard speak of it did so in the same fearful tone. Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, had spent two months there only last year.**

**"**Hagrid went to Azkaban? Why would he ever have to go to Azkaban?" Peter asked.

**Harry wouldn't soon forget the look of terror on Hagrid's face when he had been told where he was going, and Hagrid was one of the bravest people Harry knew.**

**The Knight Bus rolled through the darkness, scattering bushes and wastebaskets, telephone booths and trees, and Harry lay, restless and miserable, on his feather bed. After a while, Stan remembered that Harry had paid for hot chocolate, but poured it all over Harry's pillow when the bus moved abruptly from Anglesea to Aberdeen.**

"I told you it was a rip-off" James muttered.

**One by one, wizards and witches in dressing gowns and slippers descended from the upper floors to leave the bus. They all looked very pleased to go.**

**Finally, Harry was the only passenger left.**

**"Right then, Neville," said Stan, clapping his hands, whereabouts in London?"**

**"Diagon Alley," said Harry.**

**"Righto," said Stan. "'Old tight, then."**

**BANG.**

**They were thundering along Charing Cross Road. Harry sat up and watched buildings and benches squeezing themselves out of the Knight Bus's way. The sky was getting a little lighter. He would lie low for a couple of hours, go to Gringotts the. moment it opened, then set off -- where, he didn't know.**

**Ern slammed on the brakes and the Knight Bus skidded to a halt in front of a small and shabby- looking pub, the Leaky Cauldron, behind which lay the magical entrance to Diagon Alley.**

"I always loved that entrance..." sighed Peter.

**"Thanks," Harry said to Ern.**

**He jumped down the steps and helped Stan lower his trunk and Hedwig's cage onto the pavement.**

**"Well," said Harry. "'Bye then!"**

**But Stan wasn't paying attention. Still standing in the doorway to the bus) he was goggling at the shadowy entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. "There you are, Harry," said a voice.**

**Before Harry could turn, he felt a hand on his shoulder. At the same time, Stan shouted, "Blimey! Ern, come 'ere! Come 'ere I"**

**Harry looked up at the owner of the hand on his shoulder and felt a bucketful of ice cascade into his stomach -- he had walked right into Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself.**

**Stan leapt onto the pavement beside them.**

**"What didja call Neville, Minister?" he said excitedly.**

**Fudge, a portly little man in a long, pinstriped cloak, looked cold and exhausted.**

**"Neville?" he repeated, frowning. "This is Harry Potter."**

**"I knew it!" Stan shouted gleefully. "Ern! Ern! Guess 'oo Neville is, Ern! 'E's 'Arry Potter! I can see 'is scar!****"**

"Honestly!" Lily sighed. "Get a life."

**"Yes," said Fudge testily, "well, I'm very glad the Knight Bus picked Harry up, but he and I need to step inside the Leaky Cauldron now..."**

**Fudge increased the pressure on Harry's shoulder, and Harry found himself being steered inside the pub. A stooping figure bearing a lantern appeared through the door behind the bar. It was Tom, the wizened, toothless landlord.**

"Wizened and toothless? Poor guy must be getting old." Sirius tried to lighten the mood but James still looked at him, hurt.

**"You've got him, Minister!" said Tom. "Will you be wanting anything? Beer? Brandy?"**

**"Perhaps a pot of tea," said Fudge, who still hadn't let go of Harry.**

**There was a loud scraping and puffing from behind them, and Stan and Ern appeared, carrying Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage and looking around excitedly.**

**"'Ow come you di'n't tell us 'oo you are, eh, Neville?" said Stan, beaming at Harry, while Ernie's owlish face peered interestedly over Stan's shoulder.**

**"And a private ****parlor, please, Tom," said Fudge pointedly.**

**Bye," Harry said miserably to Stan and Ern as Tom beckoned Fudge toward the passage that led from the bar.**

"ooo I do hope he's not expelled" Peter said.

**"'Bye, Neville!" called Stan.**

**Fudge marched Harry along the narrow passage after Tom's lantern, and then into a small ****parlor. Tom clicked his fingers, a fire burst into life in the grate, and he bowed himself out of the room.**

**"Sit down, Harry," said Fudge, indicating a chair by the fire.**

**Harry sat down, feeling goose bumps rising up his arms despite the glow of the fire. Fudge took off his pinstriped cloak and tossed it aside, then hitched up the trousers of his bottle-green suit and sat down opposite Harry.**

**"I am Cornelius Fudge, Harry. The Minister of Magic."**

**"**I wonder if Dumbledore ever got the job." Remus commented.

**Harry already knew this, of course; he had seen Fudge once before, but as he had been wearing his father's Invisibility Cloak at the time, Fudge wasn't to know that.**

**Tom the innkeeper reappeared, wearing an apron over his night-shirt and bearing a tray of tea and crumpets. He placed the tray on a table between Fudge and Harry and left the ****parlor, closing the door behind him.**

**"Well, Harry," said Fudge, pouring out tea, "you've had us all in aright flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that! I'd started to think... but you're safe, and that's what matters."**

**Fudge buttered himself a crumpet and pushed the plate toward Harry.**

**"Eat, Harry, you look dead on your feet. Now then... You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Department were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. **

"Punctured? Like a balloon?" Peter cracked up and James chuckled.

**She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."**

**Fudge smiled at Harry over the rim of his teacup, rather like an uncle surveying a ****favorite nephew. Harry, who couldn't believe his ears, opened his mouth to speak, couldn't think of anything to say, and closed it again.**

**"Ah, you're worrying about the reaction of your aunt and uncle?" said Fudge. "Well, I won't deny that they are extremely angry, Harry, but they are prepared to take you back next summer as long as you stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays."**

**Harry unstuck his throat.**

**"I always stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays," he said, "and I don't ever want to go back to Privet Drive."**

**"Now, now, I'm sure you'll feel differently once you've calmed down," said Fudge in a worried tone. "They are your family, after all, and I'm sure you are fond of each other -- er -- very deep down."**

**It didn't occur to Harry to put Fudge right. He was still waiting to hear what was going to happen to him now.**

**"So all that remains," said Fudge, now buttering himself a second crumpet, "is to decide where you're going to spend the last two weeks of your vacation. I suggest you take a room here at the Leaky Cauldron and****-"**

**"Hang on," blurted Harry. **

"Dont interrupt the minister!!" James scolded.

**"What about my punishment?"**

**Fudge blinked. "Punishment?"**

**"I broke the law!" Harry said. "The Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry!"**

**"Oh, my dear boy, we're not going to punish you for a little thing like that!" cried Fudge, waving his crumpet impatiently. "It was an accident! We don't send people to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts!"**

**But this didn't tally at all with Harry's past dealings with the Ministry of Magic.**

**"Last year, I got an official warning just because a house-elf smashed a pudding in my uncle's house!" he told Fudge, frowning. **

"What was a house elf doing in my sisters house?" Lily wondered.

**"The Ministry of Magic said I'd be expelled from Hogwarts if there was any more magic there!"**

**Unless Harry's eyes were deceiving him, Fudge was suddenly looking awkward.**

**"Circumstances change, Harry... We have to take into account... in the present climate... Surely you don't want to be expelled?"**

**"Of course I don't," said Harry.**

**"Well then, what's all the fuss about?" laughed Fudge. "Now, have a crumpet, Harry, while I go and see if Tom's got a room for you."**

**Fudge strode out of the ****parlor and Harry stared after him. There was something extremely odd going on. Why had Fudge been waiting for him at the Leaky Cauldron, if not to punish him for what he'd done? And now Harry came to think of it, surely it wasn't usual for the Minister of Magic himself to get involved in matters of underage magic?**

**Fudge came back, accompanied by Tom the innkeeper.**

**"Room eleven's free, Harry," said Fudge. "I think you'll be very comfortable. just one thing, and I'm sure you'll understand... I don't want you wandering off into Muggle London, all right? Keep to Diagon Alley. And you're to be back here before dark each night. Sure you'll understand. Tom will be keeping an eye on you for me."**

**"Okay," said Harry slowly, "but why?"**

**"Don't want to lose you again, do we?" said Fudge with a hearty laugh. "No, no... best we know where you are... I mean..."**

**Fudge cleared his throat loudly and picked up his pinstriped cloak.**

**"Well, I'll be off, plenty to do, you know...**

**"Have you had any luck with Black yet?" Harry asked.**

**Fudge's finger slipped on the silver fastenings of his cloak.**

**"What's that? Oh, you've heard -- well, no, not yet, but it's only a matter of time. The Azkaban guards have never yet failed... and they are angrier than I've ever seen them."**

Sirius shuddered slightly at the thought of Dmentors looking for him.

**Fudge shuddered slightly.**

**"So, I'll say good-bye."**

**He held out his hand and Harry, shaking it, had a sudden idea.**

**"Er -- Minister? Can I ask you something?"**

**"Certainly," said Fudge with a smile.**

**"Well, third years at Hogwarts are allowed to visit Hogsmeade, but my aunt and uncle didn't sign the permission form. D'you think you could --?"**

**Fudge was looking uncomfortable.**

**"Ah," he said. "No, no, I'm very sorry, Harry, but as I'm not your parent or guardian -""But you're the Minister of Magic," said Harry eagerly. "If you gave me permission**

**"No, I'm sorry, Harry, but rules are rules," said Fudge flatly.**

**'Perhaps You'll be able to visit Hogsmeade next year. In fact, I think it's best if you don't... yes... well, I'll be off Enjoy your stay, Harry."**

**And with a last smile and shake of Harry's hand, Fudge left the room. Tom now moved forward, beaming at Harry.**

**"If you'll follow me, Mr. Potter," he said, "I've already taken your things up..."**

**Harry followed Tom up a handsome wooden staircase to a door with a brass number eleven on it, which Tom unlocked and opened for him.**

**Inside was a very comfortable-looking bed, some highly polished oak furniture, a cheerfully crackling fire and, perched on top of the wardrobe -**

**"Hedwig!" Harry gasped.**

"Oh good, she's back!" Peter smiled.

**The snowy owl clicked her beak and fluttered down onto Harry's arm.**

**"Very smart owl you've got there, chuckled Tom. "Arrived about five minutes after you did. If there's anything you need, Mr. Potter, don't hesitate to ask."**

**He gave another bow and left.**

**Harry sat on his bed for a long time, absentmindedly stroking Hedwig. The sky outside the window was changing rapidly from deep, velvety blue to cold, steely ****gray and then, slowly, to pink shot with gold. Harry could hardly believe that he'd left Privet Drive only a few hours ago, that he wasn't expelled, and that he was now facing two completely Dursley-free weeks.**

"Sounds fun."

**"It's been a very weird night, Hedwig," he yawned.**

**And without even removing his glasses, he slumped back onto his pillows and fell asleep.**

"Well I think that's enough excitement for today." Lily snatched the book out of James' hands. "I'll put a spell on it so it can only be read when all five of us are in the same room. Ok?" She shot a meaningful look at James. Everyone nodded, their minds still on the book and Sirius' betrayal.

"And," Continued Lily, "I don't think Sirius is capable of hurting any of us, even under the imperious curse." And she picked up the book and Headed off to the library to do some studying.

"Prongs..." Sirius started.

"No, Sirius. No." And James Potter dragged Remus and Peter behind him, leaving his best friend alone in the common room.

**A/N: Sniff sniff. I cried while writing this. Theres so much sentimental value for Sirius he can't imagine ever betraying his friends and he feels mad at himself and at his friends for believing the book. Eventually, when James finds out about Sirius supposedly being their secret keeper, he kicks Sirius off the Quiddich team and tells him to never talk to him again and Lily's the only reason he continues to read with them.**

**Then Sirius feels bad... Blah Blah... And during the book James ignored his presence and so Sirius won't be talking much... That's it! Hope you like it!!**

**Anyway... I'm going for five GOOD reviews this time... And I noticed that this works so from now on I'll need at least five reviews before I post the next chapter!**

**-Haydee**


	5. the leaky cauldron

**A/N: Sorry about the wait! I went on an unexpected vacation and so I was having too much fun to write... And I had minor writer's block...****and my evil mother didn't let me write cuz I'm like her hous elf and she makes me work work work and I can't use the internet so SORRY! But here's a nice juicy chapter to make up for that! So yeah... Ok, ok. I know and i'm sorry this chapter sucks but I'm not very good at doing POV's : D**

**I FINALLY managed to get past my writer's block but I dunno what I'll do for the next chapters... Oh well. I guess I will just have to try my best!!**

**Ok I got an idea. How about I put a little question at the end of each chapter so you review. And someone has to geddit right before I update. Cool or what? Ok here's the next chapter... Which is short cuz its mostly about Sirius 3 and how he feels... So sniffley ppl who cry: Get you hankies cuz Sirius is gonna ****get sad...**

**And some people asked why James is reacting so much. Well I thought I should just make it clear. See, since they're in their seventh year, that when they know what they wanna be when they grow up and so they both always talked about hating Old Voldyshorts and fighting him together all their lives and stuff and when James finds out that Sirius 'joined Volemort" he feel so betrayed and hurt and he just doesn't wanna show it so he acts mad... Yah... So anyway... I'm hyper and pplease answer the trivia at the bottom and R-E-V-I-E-W please!! Thanx :D**

**-Haydee**

**P.S. Oh and also, sum ppl said that how do they resist the urge to flick ahead. Well Lily's spell did that too so they have to read it together and they cannot (under any circumstances) read ahead.**

Chapter Five has no name...

Sirius' POV

I walked into the boy's dormitory.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I began muttering madly to myself. "That stupid book... Why he believes it... I would never... All lies... Not true!"

I had never felt so frustrated, so alone in my life.

Even before I came to Hogwarts I had Regulus, who didn't hate me untill I became a Griffindor. And Andromeda... My all-time favourite cousin. But now I was alone. A feeling I thought I would never have to experience again when I met James and Remus and Lily and Peter. The people I thought would be my friends and family forever.

But now I was alone. The people I love hate me because of something that might not even be true and I even hate myself.

I didnt want to believe what the god damn book said, but as hard as I tried I couldn't get past the fact that I had betrayed my friends... Betrayed them to someone I hated with all my heart right now.

I sat down on my bed and fell asleep... Only to be woken up at night by Lily screaming "Sirius! Get down here!! Now!" And since no one can come out off an encounter with a mad Lily alive, I stumbled out of bed and down the stairs.

No one's POV

Sirius entered the Griffindor common room yawning loudly.

He dicided, while coming down the stairs, that he would not let something as stupid as a book with James' last name ruin his life. He didn't care what the book said anymore because he, Sirius Black, was the only person who could and would controll his actions.

"Pick up the pace Padfoot, the wordl's not gonna wait for you." Peter urged. "And the book probably won't either."

So Sirius sat down next to him and motioned for Remus, who was holding the book, to begin reading.

**CHAPTER FOUR **

**THE LEAKY CAULDRON**

**It took Harry several days to get used to his strange new freedom. Never before had he been able to get up whenever he wanted or eat whatever he fancied.**

"So they starved him too?" Lily complained.

**He could even go wherever he pleased, as long as it was in Diagon Alley, and as this long cobbled street was packed with the most fascinating wizarding shops in the world,**

"Yes it does... I remember the first time I went there..." Remus sighed.

**H****arry felt no desire to break his word to Fudge and stray back into the Muggle world.**

"Good for you Harry!" Lily said. "At least he didn't get his father's rule breaking habits. You'd probably have left Diagon Alley the moment he told you not to..."

**H****arry ate breakfast each morning in the Leaky Cauldron, where he liked watching the other guests: funny little witches from the country, up for a day's shopping; venerable-looking wizards arguing over the latest article in Transfiguration Today; wild-looking warlocks; raucous dwarfs; and once, what looked suspiciously like a hag, who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woollen balaclava.**

**After breakfast Harry would go out into the backyard, take out his wand, tap the third brick from the left above the trash bit, and stand back as the archway into Diagon Alley opened in the wall.**

**Harry spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly coloured umbrellas outside cafes, where his fellow diners were showing one another their purchases ( " it's a lunascope, old boy -- no more messing around with moon charts, see?") or else discussing the case of Sirius Black**

"Sirius sat deeper in his couch, wanting to dissapear completely.

**("personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban"). Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by flashlight anymore; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch burnings, gave Harry free sundaes every half an hour.**

"Oh! We should be nicer to him next time we go to Diagon Alley." Peter mumbeled, remembering the prank they had played on the old man last summer. The others nodded in agreement.

**O****nce Harry had refilled his money bag with gold Galleons, silver Sickles, and bronze Knuts from his vault at Gringotts, he had to exercise a lot of self-control not to spend the whole lot at once. He had to keep reminding himself that he had five years to go at Hogwarts, and how it would feel to ask the Dursleys for money for spellbooks, to stop himself from buying a handsome set of solid gold Gobstones (a wizarding game rather like marbles, in which the stones squirt a nasty-smelling liquid into the other player's face when they lose a point). He was sorely tempted, too, by the perfect, moving model of the galaxy in a large glass ball, which would have meant he never had to take another Astronomy lesson. But the thing that tested Harry's resolution most appeared in his favourite shop, Quality Quidditch Supplies,**

Lily rolled her eyes.

**a**** week after he'd arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.**

**Curious to know what the crowd in the shop was staring at, Harry edged his way inside and squeezed in among the excited witches and wizards until he glimpsed a newly erected podium, on which was mounted the most magnificent broom he had ever seen in his life.**

**"Just come out -- prototype --" a square-jawed wizard was telling his companion.**

**"It's the fastest broom in the world, isn't it, Dad?" squeaked a boy younger than Harry, who was swinging off his father's arm.**

**"Irish International Side's Just put in an order for seven of these beauties!" the proprietor of the shop told the crowd. "And they're favourites for the World Cup!"**

**A large witch in front of Harry moved, and he was able to read the sign next to the broom:**

All three boys leaned in closer to Remus.

** THE FIREBOLT **

**THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART PACING BROOM SPORTS A STREAM-LINED, SUPERFINE HANDLE OF ASH, TREATED WITH A DIAMOND-HARD POLISH AND HAND- NUMBERED WITH ITS OWN REGISTRATION NUMBER. EACH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED BIRCH TWIG IN THE BROOMTAIL HAS BEEN HONED TO AERODYNAMIC PERFECTION, GIVING THE FIREBOLT UNSURPASSABLE BALANCE AND PINPOINT PRECISION. THE FIREBOLT HAS AN ACCELERATION OF 150 MILES AN HOUR IN TEN SECONDS AND INCORPORATES AN UNBREAKABLE BRAKING CHARM. PRICE ON REQUEST.**

"Woah"

"A Hundred and Fifty in TEN seconds!?"

"That's so cool."

"I wonder how much it costs"

"Buy it Harry!"

"James no! How will he pay the rest of his years at Hogwarts?" Lily objected.

"Awww..."

**P****rice on request... Harry didn't like to think how much gold the Firebolt would cost. He had never wanted anything as much in his whole life -- but he had never lost a Quidditch match on his Nimbus Two Thousand, and what was the point in emptying his Gringotts vault for the Firebolt, when he had a very good broom already? Harry didn't ask for the price, but he returned, almost every day after that, just to look at the Firebolt.**

**There were, however, things that Harry needed to buy. He went to the Apothecary to replenish his store of potions ingredients, and as his school robes were now several inches too short in the arm and leg, he visited Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and bought new ones. Most important of all, he had to buy his new schoolbooks, which would include those for his two new subjects, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.**

"UGh. He's starting divination. Poor bloke." Sirius winced.

**H****arry got a surprise as he looked in at the bookshop window. Instead of the usual display of gold- embossed spellbooks the size of paving slabs, there was a large iron cage behind the glass that held about a hundred copies of The Monster Book of Monsters. **

"Ha! That's why Hagrid got it for him!! I knew there was something behind the Monster Book!" Sirius cried.

"Sure you did Pads. Sure."

**Torn pages were flying everywhere as the books grappled with each other, locked together in furious wrestling matches and snapping aggressively.**

"Whoa! We should get some and place bets." Peter said.

"I doubt they stock them anywhere..." Remus said.

**Harry pulled his booklist out of his pocket and consulted it for the first time. The Monster Book of Monsters was listed as the required book for Care of Magical Creatures. Now Harry understood why Hagrid had said it would come in useful. He felt relieved; he had been wondering whether Hagrid wanted help with some terrifying new pet.**

"Yeah that's what I thought..." Peter sighed.

**A****s Harry entered Flourish and Blotts, the manager came hurrying toward him.**

**"Hogwarts?" he said abruptly. "Come to get your new books?"**

**"Yes," said Harry, "I need --"**

**"Get out of the way," said the manager impatiently, brushing Harry aside. He drew on a pair of very thick gloves, picked up a large, knobbly walking stick, and proceeded toward the door of the Monster Books' cage.**

**"Hang on," said Harry quickly, "I've already got one of those."**

"Awww Harry, you should've let him fight them..." James sighed.

"Yeah and we could've placed bets!" Peter agreed.

"What's with you and bets?" Sirius asked. "Need money or something?"

Peter just mumbled something about fun.

**"Have you?" A look of enormous relief spread over the manager's face. "Thank heavens for that. I've been bitten five times already this morning --"**

"How much can it hurt?" Sirius asked. "I mean, sure the book'll close on you but that doesn't hurt much. Does it?"

"Here Pads." James said, snaching the book out of Moony's hands. "Try it out."

"Can I just keep reading?" Remus interrupted.

"Fine." James sighed and put the book in his lap.

"Umm, Prongs?" Peter asked. "I think you should give Moony the book."

"Oh. Right."

**A loud ripping noise rent the air; two of the Monster Books had seized a third and were pulling it apart.**

**"Stop it! Stop it!" cried the manager, poking the walking stick through the bars and knocking the books apart. "I'm never stocking them again, never! It's been bedlam! I thought we'd seen the worst when we bought two hundred copies of the Invisible Book of Invisibility -cost a fortune, and we never found them... Well... is there anything else I can help you with?"**

**"**Oh that was last year!" James laughed. "I remember..."

**"Yes," said Harry, looking down his booklist, "I need Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky."**

**"Ah, starting Divination, are you?"**

"I feel so bad for him." Peter sniffed.

**said the manager, stripping off his gloves and leading Harry into the back of the shop, where there was a corner devoted to fortune-telling. A small table was stacked with volumes such as Predicting the Unpredictable: Insulate Yourself Against Shocks and Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul.**

"Don't they all..." James said.

**"Here you are,' said the manager, who had climbed a set of steps to take down a thick, black- bound book. "Unfogging the Future. Very good guide to all your basic fortune-telling methods - palmistry, crystal balls, bird entrails.**

"No it isn't! We use the same book still and I haven't learned anything." James Complained.

"Well. Have you ever payed attention?" Remus asked.

"No but-"

"There you go."

"Its a Marauder Quality time class. Like History of Magic." James defended himself. "We don't need too know divination to become Aurors, we can fail."

"Whatever."

**B****ut Harry wasn't listening. His eyes had fallen on another book, which was among a display on a small table: Death Omens.- What to Do When You Know the Worst Is Coming.**

"Ooo. No Harry don't read that!" Lily said, concerned.

**"****Oh, I wouldn't read that if I were you," said the manager lightly, looking to see what Harry was staring at. "You'll start seeing death omens everywhere. It's enough to frighten anyone to death. "**

"Yeah Harry. Listen to the smart manager..." Lily pressed.

**B****ut Harry** **continued to stare at the front cover of the book; **

"Stuuborn, Like you!" Lily glared at James like it was all his fault.

**i****t showed a black dog large as a bear, with gleaming eyes. It looked oddly familiar...**

"Like me!" Sirius added happily. "I like big black dogs..." He added wwhen the others shot him a look.

**The manager pressed Unfogging the Future into Harry's hands.**

**"Anything else?" he said.**

**"Yes," said Harry, tearing his eyes away from the dog's and dazedly consulting his booklist. "Er -- I need Intermediate Transfiguration and The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three."**

"Hmm." Noted Lily, "Seems like they use pretty much the same books as us. So they probably got mostly the same teachers too."

"Yep. Seems like Hogwats hasn't changed much..." Remus agreed.

**Harry emerged from Flourish and Blotts ten minutes later with his new books under his arms and made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron, hardly noticing where he was going and bumping into several people.**

**He tramped up the stairs to his room, went inside, and tipped his books onto his bed. Somebody had been in to tidy; the windows were open and sun was pouring inside. Harry could hear the buses rolling by in the unseen Muggle street behind him and the sound of the invisible crowd below in Diagon Alley.**

Peter smiled. "I allways loved listening to the invisible people..."

**He caught sight of himself in the mirror over the basin.**

**"It can't have been a death omen," he told his reflection defiantly. "I was panicking when I saw that thing in Magnolia Crescent... It was probably just a stray dog..."**

**He raised his hand automatically and tried to make his hair lie flat**

James sighed exhasperatedly. "You'll never manage that."

"Well at least he doesn't try to mess it up more." Lily laughed.

"She's got a point." Remus smiled.

"Whatever. You know you like it" He smirked back and she blushed.

**"You're fighting a losing battle there, dear," said his mirror in a wheezy voice.**

"SO true..."

"Theres a little break, should I continue?" Remus asked.

"Wait. I need to use the bathroom" Lily got up.

"Ooo. Can I come too?" James asled, earning him a smack and getting pushed back onto the couch. "I guess that's a 'no' then?" He pouted. They all laughed.

Lily came back and Sirius said, "Do continue Remy, dear."

"Yessir"

**As the days slipped by, Harry started looking wherever he went for a sign of Ron or Hermione. **

"Oh yeah. We haven't met them yet." Peter noted.

**Plenty of Hogwarts students were arriving in Diagon Alley now, with the start of term so near. Harry met Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, his fellow Gryffindors, in Quality Quidditch Supplies, where they too were ogling the Firebolt;**

"Who wouldn't be?" James scoffed. "That's one inpressive broom."

Lily sighed exhasperatedly. "We know James. We know."

**he also ran into the real Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, forgetful boy, outside Flourish and Blotts. **

Lily smiled. "Round faced like his mum. But forgetful? Were Frank and Alice forgetful?"

"Not that I remember." Remus replied. "I hear they're both in the auror training program now though."

**Harry didn't stop to chat; Neville appeared to have mislaid his booklist and was being told off by his very formidable-looking grandmother. **

"Again with the grandmother! What in merlin's name happened to Frank and Alice!!" James exclaimed, clearly frustrated.

"James, mate." Sirius began, clearly forgetting about their previous argument. "We've all been reding this book together and, unless one of us has got an 'inner eye' or something of the sort," Here he shot a glance at Remus, who hated 'the art of guessing' as he called divination. "then none of us know anything you don't. So-"

"Of course. Me being the brains of the group." James interrupted.

Sirius ignored him. "SO, stop asking questions. Please. He added as an afterthought.

"I'm glad to see you two aren't trying to kill eachother still." Remus noted.

"Yeah." Agreed Peter. "I mean, this stuff hasn't happened yet and who knows if its even true! If this book really does tell our future then we shouldn't hate eachother for stuff we haven't even done yet. Now Sirius," He began in a mock serious tone. **(lol I couldn't resist pointing out that pun -Haydee)** "If you were by any chance planning on murdering people and escaping from Azkaban, then we have right to be mad."

"Of course he wasn't." Lily defended Sirius. "You saw how he reacted! No one is that good of an actor."

Sirius shot her a thankfull smile.

Remus cleared his throat and continued reading.

**Harry hoped she never found out that he'd pretended to be Neville while on the run from the Ministry of Magic.**

**Harry woke on the last day of the holidays, thinking that he would at least meet Ron and Hermione tomorrow, on the Hogwarts Express. He got up, dressed, went for a last look at the Firebolt, and was just wondering where he'd have lunch, when someone yelled his name and he turned.**

**"Harry! HARRY!"**

**They were there, both of them, sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour -- Ron looking incredibly freckly, Hermione very brown, both waving frantically at him.**

**"Finally!" said Ron, grinning at Harry as he sat down. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and --"**

**"I got all my school stuff last week," Harry explained. "And how come you knew I'm staying at the Leaky Cauldron?" **

"Yeah..." James narrowed his eyes. "Have you been stalking my son?"

"Don't be silly." Sirius said. "He has other people stalking him so he won't get caught."

"No. I bet he has Vadio Cameras stalking him. And waching his every move..." Peter said.

Lily laughed. "Its _video camara_ and Ron's dad works at the ministry remember? That's probably how he knew."

**"Dad," said Ron simply.**

"Aww. Ou ideas were much more creative..." Sirius pouted.

**Mr. Weasley, who worked at the Ministry of Magic, would of course have heard the whole story of what had happened to Aunt Marge.**

**"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione in a very serious voice.**

**"I didn't mean to," said Harry, while Ron roared with laughter. "I just -- lost control."**

"Its still not funny." Remus said, as James and Sirius roared with laughter. "I mean, he could have gotten expelled. He just got lucky."

Sirius caught his breath and said, "You know what Moony? I'm starting to think of Hermione more like you."

"Yeah." Agreen James.

**"It's not funny, Ron," said Hermione sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."**

"See?" Sirius pressed.

**"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested."**

"They can't arrest him for a simple thing like underage magic." Lily stated.

"Thanks Evans, we had no idea." Sirius said.

"Oh shut it Black." Lily retorted.

**He looked at Ron. "Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?"**

Peter snickered.

"What?" He said when he noticed everyone staring at him. "Fudge sounds funny... And yummy, hey that rhymes!" And he began singing under his breath, "Fudge sounds funny yummy, Fudge sounds funny yummy..."

Remus sighed and James motioned him to keep reading.

**"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that.**

"Its weird to hear my name famous..." James muttered.

**I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me. **

"Sounds like a lovely family..." Sirius said, his vouce dripping in sarcasm.

"Actually Sirius, they are. I hear they've got two boys and Molly's pregnant with the third allready." Lily said matter of factly.

"Blimey! So... That would be... SEVEN kids!?" James cried. "Boy do I feel bad for them. No wonder they're poor."

**Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening. We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well!"**

"Quite the rambler this Ron. Isn't he?" Peter said. "Kinda like you Sirius... I wonder if he can eat half the food at Griffindor table too..."

Sirius chose to ignore this comment.

**Hermione nodded, beaming. "Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things."**

**"Excellent!" said Harry happily. "So, have you got all your new books and stuff?"**

**"Look at this," said Ron, pulling a long thin box out of a bag and opening it. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books --" He pointed at a large bag under his chair. "What about those Monster Books, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."**

**"What's all that, Hermione?" Harry asked, pointing at not one but three bulging bags in the chair next to her.**

"Three?" James looked horrified. "Blimey, is she taking everything?"

**"Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I' said Hermione. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies --"**

"Seems like it." Agreed Lily. "I guess that is a bit much..."

**"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" said Ron, rolling his eyes at Harry. "You're Muggle- born! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"**

**"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," said Hermione earnestly.**

"Now really!" Sirius was staring at the book with his mouth hanging open. "What a waste of time!"

"Yeah. Time. She won't have enough to take all those classes. And the workload she'll get... She'll never be able to cope with that." Remus agreed.

"Sounds like something you'd do Moony." Peter said.

**"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" asked Harry, while Ron sniggered. Hermione ignored them.**

**"I've still got ten Galleons," she said, checking her purse. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."**

**"How about a nice book? said Ron innocently.**

Sirius, James and Peter sniggered.

**"No, I don't think so," said Hermione composedly. "I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig and you've got Errol --"**

"What?" James cried. "That mop that nearly died bringing Harry his present!?"

"I'm sure that's all they can afford. Not everyones as rich as you James." Lily scolded.

**"I haven't," said Ron. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers." He pulled his pet rat out of his pocket.**

Three boys shot a look at Peter, who loved rats.

**"And I want to get him checked over," he added, placing Scabbers on the table in front of them. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him."**

**Scabbers was looking thinner than usual, and there was a definite droop to his whiskers.**

"Ugh. I don't like rats..." Lily wrinked her nose.

Peter frowned.

"They're ok... I mean, they might not look that night but they happen to be extremely intelligent creatures."

Sirius snorted. "In _most _cases... Unfotunately not one I know of."

"Sirius!" Remus scolded. "That's not very nice!"

"He knows I'm playing. Right Pete?"

"Yeah..."

"Umm... Not to be slow but what are we talking about? I don't get it." Lily asked.

"Nothing. Keep reading about my son Remus.

"Our son!"

**"****There's a magical creature shop just over there," said Harry, who knew Diagon Alley very well by now. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl,"**

**So they paid for their ice cream and crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie.**

"I love that place." James sighed. "I can get the owls droppings and make dungbombs that smell way better than the ones from zonko's."

"Umm. Don't you mean worse?" Lily asked.

"No because the badness of their smell is good when in the Slytherin's common room and the more bad they smell the better the smell is for us. So what im saying is the bad smell is good for us because its bad for the Slytherins and the worse smell is the best because its worse. Geddit?" He said all in one breath.

"Sure honey..." Lily reassured him. "Remus, please continue." She added, with a look that said clearly _Before he starts going again._

**There wasn't much room inside. Every inch of wall was hidden by cages. It was smelly and very noisy because the occupants Of these cages were all squeaking, squawking, jabbering, or hissing. The witch behind the counter was already advising a wizard on the care of double-ended newts, so Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited, examining the cages.**

**A pair of enormous purple toads sat gulping wetly and feasting on dead blowflies. A gigantic tortoise with a jewel-encrusted shell was glittering near the window. Poisonous orange snails were oozing slowly up the side of their glass tank, and a fat white rabbit kept changing into a silk top hat and back again with a loud popping noise. Then there were cats of every colour, a noisy cage of ravens, a basket of funny custard-coloured furballs that were humming loudly, and on the counter, a vast cage of sleek black rats that were playing some sort of skipping game using their long, bald tails.**

Peter smiled. "They've added quite a bit over time haven't they?"

"Duh. Twenty years is quite a bit of time Wormy." Sirius said.

"Hey! Didn't I tell you not to call me that?" Cried Peter indignantly.

**T****he double-ended newt wizard left, and Ron approached the counter.**

**"It's my rat," he told the witch. "He been a bit off-colour ever since I brought him back from Egypt."**

**"Bang him on the counter," said the witch, pulling a pair of heavy black spectacles out of her pocket.**

"Aww don't bang him! What if he gets hurt?" Peter asked.

"Um. She can't hear you and its just an expression." Remus reassured him.

**Ron lifted Scabbers out of his inside pocket and placed him next to the cage of his fellow rats, who stopped their skipping tricks and scuffled to the wire for a better took.**

**L****ike nearly everything Ron owned, Scabbers the rat was second-hand (he had once belonged to Ron's brother Percy) and a bit battered. **

"See I told you!" Lily scowled at James. "Not everyone has all the money they could ever want!"

"Whatever. I was just saying they should get a better owl, that's all!" James replied. "I wasn't trying to be rude!"

**N****ext to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone.**

**"Hm," said the witch, picking up Scabbers. "How old is this rat?"**

**"Dunno," said Ron. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."**

**"What powers does he have?" said the witch, examining Scabbers closely.**

**"Er --" The truth was that Scabbers had never shown the faintest trace of interesting powers. The witch's eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly.**

**"He's been through the mill, this one," she said.**

**"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," said Ron defensively.**

"Yeah Ron. Defend your lovely rat." Peter said.

"Yeah, lovely." Lily muttered so Peter didn't hear.

"He really loves that rat doesn't he?" Remus smiled.

"Yuck" Lily replied.

**"****An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," said the witch. "Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these --"**

**She indicated the black rats, who promptly started skipping again. **

"Show-offs." Peter muttered.

"How'd you do that?" Remus asked.

"Do what?" Peter answered.

"This."

**Ron muttered, "Show-offs."**

"Oh. I dunno... Just said what came to mind..."

**"Well, if you Don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," said the witch, reaching under the counter and bringing out a small red bottle.**

**"Okay," said Ron. "How much -- OUCH!"**

"Hey I just realized something." James declared.

"You like guys." Sirius said. "I knew it!" he yelled, a triumphant grin on his face. "Tough luck Evans, but I'm always around for rebound." He added with a wink.

"Eww" James looked disgusted. "With you being the first male I saw on the Hogwars express how could I be?" He added with an inward smirk.

This statement had the desired affect. "What? I am a great example of a human-"

"Female!" Peter bust our laughing.

Sirius just glared at him. "Oh shut it Pee."

"Pee?" Lily asked.

"Its the first syllable of his name... And it gets on his nerves." He explained.

Peter looked like he was going to say something back but James said loudly, "As I was saying!" and everyone looked at him. "On the Hogwars letter it only says you can bring an Owl, toad or cat. It says nothing about rats."

"You've got a fair point there mate." Sirius looked thoughtful. "Ok Petey, you've gotta go!"

"Sirius!" Lily exclaimed, clearly thinking Sirius was accusing Peter of being a traitor, not an actual rat.

"How 'bout you guys then?" Peter shot back. "How come you guys aren't kicking yourselves out too?"

"Could someone please tell me what this is about?" Lily asked. She was ignored.

"We are too special to be kicked out because of our ani-" Sirius began but was cut off by James jabbing him in the ribs with his elbow.

"Whoops." Sirius said.

"What on earth are you talking ab-"

Remus, sick of interruptions, cleared his throat loudly and continued reading.

**Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers.**

"A cat maybe?" Sirius laughed. He hated cats.

**"****NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers, shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.**

**"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him; Harry followed.**

**It took them nearly ten minutes to catch Scabbers, who had taken refuge under a wastepaper bin outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. **

"At least he's got good taste!" James laughed. "Just the store to hide by! Allways makes me feel safer..."

**R****on stuffed the trembling rat back into his pocket and straightened up, massaging his head.**

**"What was that?"**

**"It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger," said Harry.**

"I knew it" Sirius growled.

**"Where's Hermione?"**

**"Probably getting her owl**

**They made their way back up the crowded street to the Magical Menagerie. As they reached it, Hermione came out, but she wasn't carrying an owl. Her arms were clamped tightly around the enormous ginger cat.**

"She bought that monster? Said Peter.

"I honestly don't know how you do that..." Remus sighed.

**"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.**

**"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.**

**That was a matter of opinion, thought Harry. The cat's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but it was definitely a bit bowlegged and its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it had run headlong into a brick wall. Now that Scabbers was out of sight, however, the cat was purring contentedly in Hermione's arms.**

**"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" said Ron.**

"Yeah." Agrees Sirius.

**"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" said Hermione.**

**"And what about Scabbers?" said Ron, pointing at the lump in his chest pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"**

"Yeah." Peter said. "The poor little rat is sick!"

**"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic," said Hermione, slapping the small red bottle into Ron's hand. "And stop worrying, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him."**

**"Wonder why," said Ron sarcastically as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron.**

**They found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily prophet.**

**"Harry!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?"**

**"Fine, thanks," said Harry as he, Ron, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley with all their shopping.**

**Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Harry saw the now familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him.**

"Aww not me again." Sirius complained.

**"They still haven't caught him, then?" he asked.**

**"No," said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely grave. "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."**

**"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money --"**

**"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," said Mr. Weasley, who on closer inspection looked very strained. "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, You mark my words."**

**At that moment Mrs. Weasley entered the bar, laden with shopping bags and followed by the twins, Fred and George, who were about to start their fifth year at Hogwarts; the newly elected Head Boy, Percy; and the Weasleys' youngest child and only girl, Ginny.**

**Ginny, who had always been very taken with Harry, seemed even more heartily embarrassed than usual when she saw him, perhaps because he had saved her life during their previous year at Hogwarts. **

"Aww. Harry's so popular with the ladies." Lily smiled.

**She went very red and muttered "hello" without looking at him. Percy, however, held out his hand solemnly as though he and Harry had never met and said, "Harry. How nice to see you.****"**

"Isn't he the one who got Head Boy?" Sirius crinkled his nose.

"Yup." Peter said.

"Ewww... He sounds like a prat."

**"Hello, Percy," said Harry, trying not to laugh.**

**"****I hope you're well?" said Percy pompously, shaking hands. It was rather like being introduced to the mayor.**

**"Very well, thanks --"**

**"Harry!" said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy --"**

"Hey!" James said.

"What?"

"I'm Head Boy!"

"Umm, James:" Sirius said. "NO - Duh."

Remus snorted. "Took you long enough..."

**"Marvellous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing."**

**Percy scowled.**

"I like these twins." James said.

"Yeah me too." Agreed Sirius.

"Their like us!"

"We're not twins."

"I know that Pee!!" Sirius barked.

"So then they aren't ..." Peter said before dodging a bat boogey hex.

Peter muttered something that sounded an awful lot like 'anger management'.

**"That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley.**

**"Mum!" said Fred as though he'd only just spotted her and seizing her hand too. "How really corking to see you --"**

The four boys and Lily roared with laughter.

"They're funnier than you guys..."

"What? Said James.

"What? Said Sirius.

"What? Said Peter.

"Haha, you guys all said the same thing." Remus said, doubling over with laughter.

"We do that all the time. What's so funny?" James asked.

There was an empty chocolate wrapper on the floor by him.

"Oh oh. Moony? Did you just eat this?" Sirius asked.

"Haha- Yeah- hahaha- it was good- ha" Remus said beetween laughs.

"Ok buddy-"

At this, Remus began laughing hysterically.

"Buddy sounds- hahaha- like booty- hahahahaha"

"I'm gonna need you to sit on the couch and take deep breaths..."

A half hour later, the Marauders and Lily had finally managed to calm Remus down. He was still laughing at anything semi-funny that happened, though not as hysterically.

"Ok. Maybe I should read now..." Lily said, eyeing Remus.

"Sure"

"Ok"

"Yeah"

"Haha- whatever"

**"I said, that's enough," said Mrs. Weasley, depositing her shopping in an empty chair. "Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?" She pointed to the brand-new silver badge on Percy's chest. "Second Head Boy in the family!" she said, swelling with pride.**

Everyone but Lily and Remus scowled.

**"And last," Fred muttered under his breath.**

"That's the spirit Freddy!" James cheered.

"Yeah." Agreed Sirius. "Go Fred and George!"

"Wooo!"

**I don't doubt that," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning suddenly. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."**

**"What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."**

"See Moony." Peter said. "In twenty years people have the same ideas as us."

James agreed. "Yeah. Now you can't say we're wrong."

"Prefects are anti-fun people" Sirius said. "They're mini Heads!"

"Hey" James said. "I'm a Head! And so is Lily!"

Sirius snorted and then tried to cover it up by coughing something that sounded a lot like '_Big _Head'.

Lily just ignored the boys.

**Ginny giggled.**

**"You want to set a better example for your sister!" snapped Mrs. Weasley.**

**"Ginny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," said Percy loftily. "I'm going up to change for dinner..."**

"Cough-not-cough-you-cough cough!"

**He disappeared and George heaved a sigh.**

**"We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told Harry. "But Mum spotted us."**

"Awww." Remus scowled. "That's just mean."

Peter seemed to not have heard him. "Ooo. I hope it was the one with the mutant muggles!" He said excitedly.

**Dinner that night was a very enjoyable affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlour, and the seven Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses.**

**"How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding.**

**"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," said Mr. Weasley.**

**Everyone looked up at him.**

**"Why?" said Percy curiously.**

**"It's because of you, Perce," said George seriously. "And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them"**

**"-- for Humongous Bighead," said Fred.**

The Marauders were beside themselves with laughter and Lily was giggling uncontrolably, so she couldn't read.

"Oh. Those boys..." James said, wiping tears of laughter out of him eyes.

He looked down at Sirius who laughing high pitchedly and rolling around on the floor trying to say something.

"Fun-funny..."

The sight was so funny that James immediately began laughing again and this continued on untill none of them could remember what they were laughing about.

**Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding.**

**"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again, in a dignified voice.**

**"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr. Weasley, "- and as I work there, they're doing me a favour -"**

**His voice was casual, but Harry couldn't help noticing that Mr. Weasley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was under Pressure.**

"Oh yeah." Peter said. "I remember that."

"Yeah. Wasn't that when the Slytherins were taunting him about being a blood traitor?" James asked.

"Yeah, those gits."

**"Good thing, too," said Mrs. Weasley briskly. "Do you realise how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground... You are all packed, aren't you?"**

**"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed."**

James scowled. "Oh shove it up your-"

Lily, being the responsible one cut him off.

**"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table. **

Sirius scowled at the book.

**Ron scowled at Percy.**

**After dinner everyone felt very full and sleepy. One by one they made their way upstairs to their rooms to check their things for the next day. Ron and Percy were next door to Harry. **

"Poor Harry" Remus sighed.

**He had just closed and locked his own trunk when he heard angry voices through the wall, and went to see what was going on.**

**The door of number twelve was ajar and Percy was shouting.**

**"It was here, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing**

**"I haven't touched it, all right?" Ron roared back.**

**"What's up?" said Harry.**

**"My Head Boy badge is gone," said Percy, rounding on Harry.**

"Don't you round on my son!" James said. "He's never done anything to your stupid badge you big prat!"

**"So's Scabbers's rat tonic," said Ron, throwing things out of his trunk to look. "I think I might've left it in the bar --"**

**"You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" yelled Percy.**

**"I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed," Harry said to Ron, and he went downstairs.**

**Harry was halfway along the passage to the bar, which was now very dark, when he heard another pair of angry voices coming from the parlour. A second later, he recognised them as Mr. and Mrs.Weasleys'. He hesitated, not wanting them to know he'd heard them arguing, when the sound of his own name made him stop, then move closer to the parlour door.**

"What are they talking about my son for?" James asked. "What will they say? Are they rwally gonna expell him! They can't do that. Or maybe," His face brightened. "They bought him a firebolt!! What do youbthink-"

"James, mate" Peter said. "We're never gonna find out if you don't shut up!"

"Oh. Right."

**"--makes no sense not to tell him," Mr. Weasley was saying heatedly. "Harry's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. He's thirteen years old and --"**

**"Arthur, the truth would terrify him!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him? For heaven's sake, he's happy not knowing!"**

**"I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard!" retorted Mr. Weasley. **

**"You know what Harry and Ron are like, wandering off by themselves -**

"Ahh. True Marauders..." Sirius sighed.

"Shhhh!" Everyone said.

**- they've ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice! But Harry mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him."**

**"But he's not dead, he's fine, so what's the point**

**"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, **

"Awww. Not him- I mean Me again!" Sirius covered his face in his hands.

**and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been three weeks, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands.**

"Awww. I always wnted one of those.

**The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after**

**"But Harry will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts."**

**"We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts."**

**"But no one's really sure that Black's after Harry****"**

"Yeah" Sirius said.

**There was a thud on wood, and Harry was sure Mr. Weasley had banged his fist on the table.**

"Ummm. Guys?" Lily asked.

"What?"

"Are you sure you want me to keep reading?..."

"YES!!"

But- But- It says... About- S-sirius." Lily stamered.

"I don't care Lil. Really. I know that shits not true so I don't give a damn what they about me."

"Are you sure-"

"Yea."

**"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Blacks been talking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: 'He's at Hogwarts... he's at Hogwarts.' Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead. If you ask me, he thinks murdering Harry will bring You-Know-Who back to power. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You- Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that..."**

There was silence. Everyone in the room was trying to process the information they had just heard. James was twitching a bit, probably from anger and Peter looked like he wanted to hug Sirius. For a moment, Sirius wanted to say some witty remark like 'Naw thanks, mate. I'm straight.' but thought better of it.

Coincidentally, there was also silence in the book. Lily, wanting to ruin the mood, continued.

**There was a silence. Harry leaned still closer to the door, desperate to hear more.**

**"Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right. But you're forgetting Albus Dumbledore. I don't think anything could hurt Harry at Hogwarts while Dumbledore's headmaster. I suppose he knows about all this?"**

"Yea!" James said. "Dumbledore won't let dome loonatic murder my son!"

"Hey..."

"What Sirius? You said yourself you don't care, this could be some fake thing." James replied.

"Oh yeah."

**"Of course he knows. We had to ask him if he minds the Azkaban guards stationing themselves around the entrances to the school grounds. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed."**

**"Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to catch Black?"**

**"Dumbledore isn't fond of the Azkaban guards," said Mr. Weasley heavily. "Nor am ****I****, if it comes to that... but when you're dealing with a wizard like Black, you sometimes have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid."**

**"If they save Harry then I will never say another word against them, said Mr. Weasley wearily. "It's late, Molly, we'd better go up..."**

**Harry heard chairs move. As quietly as he could, he hurried down the passage to the bar and out of sight. The parlour door opened, and a few seconds later footsteps told him that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were climbing the stairs.**

**The bottle of rat tonic was lying under the table they had sat at earlier. Harry waited until he heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bedroom door close, then headed back upstairs with the bottle.**

**Fred and George were crouching in the shadows on the landing, heaving with laughter as they listened to Percy dismantling his and Ron's room in search of his badge.**

**"We've got it," Fred whispered to Harry. "We've been improving it."**

**The badge now read Bighead Boy.**

"What agreat idea!" Peter said. "Whay haven't we thought of that?"

"Oh I dunno Pete, maybe because IM headboy!" James retorted.

"Oh."

Sirius leaned over and whispered into James' ear, "Next time call him Pee."

**Harry forced a laugh, went to give Ron the rat tonic, then shut himself in his room and lay down on his bed.**

**So Sirius Black was after him. This explained everything. Fudge had been lenient with him because he was so relieved to find him alive. He'd made Harry promise to stay in Diagon Alley where there were plenty of wizards to keep an eye on him. And he was sending two Ministry cars to take them all to the station tomorrow, so that the Weasleys could look after Harry until he was on the train.**

**Harry lay listening to the muffled shouting next door and wondered why he didn't feel more scared. Sirius Black had murdered thirteen people with one curse; Mr. and Mrs, Weasley obviously thought Harry would be panic-stricken if he knew the truth. But Harry happened to agree wholeheartedly with Mrs. Weasley that the safest place on earth was wherever Albus Dumbledore happened to be. Didn't people always say that Dumbledore was the only person Lord Voldemort had ever been afraid of? Surely Black, as Voldemort's right-hand man, would be just as frightened of him?**

Sirius snorted. "Yeah. Extremely scary, that Old Man."

**And then there were these Azkaban guards everyone kept talking about. They seemed to scare most people senseless, and if they were stationed all around the school, Black's chances of getting inside seemed very remote.**

"Gasp! The secret passages! What if Dumbledore doesn't know about them yet? You could be sneaking in through there." james realized.

**No, all in all, the thing that bothered Harry most was the fact that his chances of visiting Hogsmeade now looked like zero. **

"He's his fathers son allright." Lily smiled.

**Nobody would want Harry to leave the safety of the castle until Black was caught; in fact, Harry suspected his every move would be carefully watched until the danger had passed.**

**He scowled at the dark ceiling. Did they think he couldn't look after himself? He'd escaped Lord Voldemort three times; he wasn't completely useless...**

**Unbidden, the image of the beast in the shadows of Magnolia Crescent crossed his mind. What to do when you know the worst is coming...**

**"I'm not going to be murdered," Harry said out loud.**

**"That's the spirit, dear," said his mirror sleepily.**

"Woah!" Peter said. "This is a good book. Can I red next?"

"That's the question Pee, _can_ you read?" Sirius teased.

"I was rather shocked that you could!" Peter retorted.

"Yea Peter. You _can_ read the next chapter." Lily said forcefully. And handed the book to Peter.

**A/N: **

**And here's your question (NO CHEATING):**

**In Harry Potter and the Order of the phoenix when Harry, Ron and Hermione enter the Room of Requirements, what book does Hermione begin to read?**

**A)A Compendium of Common Curses and their Counteractions**

**B)Jinxes for the Jinxed**

**C)The Dark Arts Outsmarted**

**D)Self-Defensive Spellwork**

**I got this question in trivia and none of the teams got it. Anyway, remember, no peeking at the book just try to guess it for fun... And I was joking, I'll still update tomorrow or the next day if no one gets it right. Lol.**

**Good Luck... And if anyone has ideas for the next chapter's trivia pleeez tell moi cuz moi has no more ideas... Oh well...**

**But make sure you tell me via PRIVATE message so other people don't see the answer... And then, of course, it won't count if you get it right... See ya!**

**-Haydee **


	6. The Dementor Part 1

A/N: Okeyy I know you all hate me but I haven't had that much time and this is all I could do

**A/N: Okeyy I know you all hate me but I haven't had that much time and this is all I could do. If you wanted I could have waited forever and updated the whole Chapter together but I didn't think youd want that… and it would have been like 10,000 words and that scares me xD… so here it is!!**

**And by the way... When we start calling Sirius something (In POA) that's how its being read so that's how you read it...**

**xOxOxOxOx**

**-Haydee**

"Ok Peter," Lily said, "Start reading!"

**CHAPTER FIVE **

**THE DEMENTOR**

Everyone shuddered at the thought of Dementors. Sirius the most, knowing they had something to do with him.

"Ugh. Remember that time when we went to the minisrty with your parents Prongs? And there was one in the hallway?" Remus said, "Ugh. The feeling was horrible."

''Talk 'bout sumthin' else, Rem. Them Azkaban guards gimme the collywobbles." Sirius mocked Stan's accent, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked because everyone laughed.

**Tom woke Harry the next morning with his usual toothless grin and a cup of tea. Harry got dressed and was just persuading a disgruntled Hedwig to get back into her cage when Ron banged his way into the room, pulling a sweatshirt over his head and looking irritable.**

**"The sooner we get on the train, the better," he said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. **

"Patience mate. We all want to but have patience..." James said.

**Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," **

**Ron grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy..."**

**"I've got something to tell you," Harry began, but they were interrupted by Fred and George, who had looked in to congratulate Ron on infuriating Percy again.**

Sirius sighed. "I love these twins more and more every day..."

James snorted. "And you called _me _gay..."

**They headed down to breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione and Ginny about a love potion she'd made as a young girl. All three of them were rather giggly.**

"Girls" Peter, Sirius and Remus muttered.

James looked like he was goint to agree but looked over at Lily and thought better of it.

**"What were you saying?" Ron asked Harry as they sat down.**

**"Later," Harry muttered as Percy stormed in.**

**Harry had no chance to speak to Ron or Hermione in the chaos of leaving; they were too busy heaving all their trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase****-**

"I allways Hated how narrow they made that." Remus said. "Its almost impossible to get you trunk by."

**-****and piling them up near the door, with Hedwig and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.**

**"It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."**

**"You won't," snapped Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"**

"Yeah!" Defended Peter.

"Ummm. Peter? He can't hear you." Remus informed his friend who just scowled and continued reading.

**He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.**

**Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.**

**"They're here, he said. "Harry, come on."**

**Mr. Weasley marched Harry across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.**

"Ugh. I hate the color of those cars." Peter paused.

"Ummm. Peter? If you keep pausing we're never gonna finish." Lily pointed out.

"Yeah Pee-"

"Don't call me that!!" Peter bellowed.

"Call you what?" Sirius asked.

"PEE!!""

"But I wasn't going to call you that. You interrupted me so rudely that I never had the chance to finish." Sirius pouted. "I was gonna say Pete."

"Yeah right."

"Just read please Peter." Lily pleaded.

"Ok, ok fine. Whatever."

**"In you get, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.**

**Harry got into the back of the car and was shortly joined by Hermione, Ron, and, to Ron's disgust, Percy.**

Sirius scowled at the book. "They forgot me!" He exclaimed. "I hate the snobby git too."

"Yeah, mate. Thing is, ummm, you're not in this part of the book and ummm, to them you've never heard of the guy." Remus said, soothingly.

Sirius ingored him.

**The journey to King's Cross was very uneventful compared with Harry's trip on the Knight Bus. The Ministry of Magic cars seemed almost ordinary. though Harry noticed that they could slide through gaps that Uncle Vernon's new company car certainly couldn't have managed. They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving line at the traffic lights.**

**Mr. Weasley kept close to Harry's elbow all the way into the station.**

"His elbow?" James asked. "What kind of expression is that? Why his _elbow_?"

"Hem hem!" Peter shushed him.

**"Right then," he said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry."**

Sirius coughed loudly "overprotective-_cough, cough_"

**Mr. Weasley strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing Harry's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity 125 that had just arrived at platform nine. With a meaningful look at Harry, he leaned casually against the barrier. Harry imitated him.**

**In a moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three- quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train.**

**Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Harry. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run.**

**"Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Ginny caught Harry's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge.**

"Arrogant prat." Sirius couldn't seem to keep his comments to himself.

"I seem to remember James doing the exact same thing." Remus laughed. "Except, of course, Lily and him weren't dating then."

James glared playfully at Sirius and said, "Is being Head Boy quite so bad?"

"Hmmm. _You_ being Head Boy isn't , but that's just 'cause it's you isn't it? Theres advantages. I'd hate to have someone like Snivellus walking around giving first as years detentiond for things like smiling too much..." Sirius explained.

Peter grimaced. "Yeah, he'd probably run around with his abnormally large nose stuck up Malfoys-"

"Peter..." Lily said warningly, blocking out what he said.

"-Letting him walk around with his band of Death Eaters killing off the muggleborns." He continued without thinking.

"PETER PETTIGREW! HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH A THING!" Her livid expression and blood red hair gave her the lookof being on fire.

Peter cowered against the love seat he was sharing with Remus and Sirius as she continued, wand pointed threateningly at his face. "SEVERUS SNAPE IS NOT A HEARTLESS PERSON! HOW DARE YOU INSIST THAT HE WOULD EVER HURT ANOTHER BEING! JUST BECAUSE YOU THREE CAN'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY SORT OF GUILT AT EVERYTHING YOU'VE PUT HIM THROUGH DOESN'T MEAN _HE _HASN'T GOT FEELINGS. YOU FOUR ARE JUST ARROGANT, BIG HEADED,-"

"Dashingly handsome." Supplied Sirius with a wink and a grin.

"Incredibly sexy." James smiled.

"Highly intelligent." Remus added.

"Brilliantly clever." Peter squeaked.

"Marauders!" The four boys finished.

Lily glared at them all, counted to ten in her head, and smiled sweetly at them all, before continuing in a dangerously sweet voice. "Don't think this is over."

"So wouldn't we be wrong in not thinking that it isn't over." James asked.

"Or would it be bad of us to not forget that we should not have to not finish the conversation?" Added Sirius, holding back a grin.

"Or should we not have to think that this conversation isn't not supposed to be uncontinued later?" Remus bit his lip, getting ready for her to explode again.

"Yes!" She burst out at last. "Wait, what?" She sat down next to James and sighed. "Whatever. Keep reading Pe-"

"-Pee" Sirius laughed. "Hahahaha... She called you peepee... Hahaha but you deserved it mate...hahahaha."

Remus rolled his eyes and told Peter to continue reading.

**Once the remaining Weasley's and Hermione had joined them, Harry and Ron led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hedwig and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.**

**Mrs. Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, and finally, Harry. He was embarrassed, but really quite pleased, when she gave him an extra hug.**

Lily frowmed. "It should be us kissing him goodbye..." She said sadly.

"I know Lils... I know..." James hugged her.

**"Do take care, won't you, Harry?" she said as she straightened up, her eyes oddly bright. Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches . . . . Here you are, Ron . . . no, they're not corned beef . . . . Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are dear . . . .**

"Quite the hectic family." James smirked.

**"Harry," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "come over here a moment."**

**He jerked his head towards a pillar, and Harry followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley.**

**"There's something I've got to tell you before you leave - " said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice.**

**"It's all right Mr. Weasley," said Harry, "I already know."**

**"You know? How could you know?"**

**"I - er - I heard you an Mr's Weasley talking last night. I couldn't help hearing," Harry added quickly. "Sorry - "**

**"That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out," said Mr. Weasley, looking anxious.**

**"No - honestly, it's okay. This way you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on."**

**"Harry, you must be very scared -"**

**"I'm not." Said Harry sincerely,**

"That's my boy." Sirius said. "Can't have you being scared of loony nutters whose main goal in life is to kill you." He said. "Oooo. I have an idea. How about we refer to the loony future me in the book as... S.B.? No that's too me. How 'bout something that sounds like S.B.? Esby?Seby? Sexy?"

"No. Please, no." Remus pleaded. "I don't want to have to refer to you as Sexy thanks."

"Fine then." Sirius pouted. "Even though you know I am..."

"Hmmm." James pondered. "What sbout something with the same initials? Oooo I know. Son Of a-"

"Slow Bee!" Peter blurted out.

"Slow Bee? Peter, are you ok?" Sirius asked.

"How about Small Bee? Sweet Bee?" James sniggered. "Or," He paused for effect, "Stupid Blob."

Remus, Peter and Sirius, dispite himself, laughed.

"No way," Sirius managed at last. "Are you gonna call me Stupid Blob. Nope. Not in a billion million gazillion years. It's retarded."

"What about Bullshit? Its backwards." Peter offered.

"If I can't call you Pee, you can't call me Bullshit. Sorry. That's the deal."

"Hmmm." Lily said. "What about we shut up and keep reading?"

"No... Too long."

"I meant thats what you should do! Not as a name."

"I like Small Balls." James said, ignoring Lily.

"What? Is it opposite day allready?" Sirius asked feigning shock.

Lily giggled.

"Hey." James said.

"I like it!" Peter said. "It suits you Pads."

Sirius scowled. "So should I call you Puny Penis?" He retorted.

At this, James, Remus, Sirius and even Lily, fell into fits of hysteria.

Once recovered, James got up and said, "Puny Penis and Small Balls it is." He smiled.

"Oh shut up." Sirius muttered.

James just glared at Sirius. "Don't make me give you all Detention for rudeness towards the Head Boy" He warned.

"Like you would." Remus scoffed. "We _could_ tell McGonagall what you were really doing in her office the other day. And why all her knickers have turned into lacy thongs."

"James Potter! You didn't..." Lily looked at him in shock.

"Ooops!" Remus smiled.

"SO Peter..." James said loudly. "What happens next?"

**"Really, he added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving. "I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, **_**S**__**mall Balls**_** can't be worse than Voldemort, can he?"**

**Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name but over-looked it**

**"Harry, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared but -"**

**"Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, who was not shepherding the rest onto the train. "Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!"**

"Ahhh! You better not make him miss the train!" James threatnened.

**"He's coming, Molly!" said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to Harry and kept talking in a lower and more hurried voice. "Listen, I want you to give me your word - "**

**" - that I'll be a good boy and stay in the castle?" said Harry gloomily.**

**"Not entirely," said Mr. Weasley, who looked more serious than Harry had ever seen him. "Harry, swear to me that you won't go looking for **_**Small Balls**_**."**

**Harry stared, "What?"**

**There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut.**

**"Promise me, Harry," said Mr. Weasley, talking more quickly still, "that whatever happens -"**

**"Why would I go looking for someone I know wants to kill me?" said Harry blankly.**

"Yeah! How thick would you have to be to do that?"

**"Swear to me that whatever you might hear -"**

**"Arthur, quickly!" cried Mrs. Weasley.**

**Steam was billowing from the train; it had started to move. Harry ran to the compartment door and Ron threw it open and stood back to let him on. They leaned out of the window and waved at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.**

**"I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione as the train picked up speed.**

**"Go away, Ginny," said Ron.**

"That's not nice." Lily said.

**"Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.**

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train.**

**This had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. Harry, Ron, and Hermione checked on the threshold. The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart.**

At the mention of the young atractive witch who pushed the food cart on the school train, Peter's face went dreamy.

"Oh get over her. You only like her because she's pretty and is allways packed with chocolate frogs. Otherwise you wouldn't look twice at her." James said pointedly to Peter, who frowned and continued reading.

**The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with grey.**

**"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window.**

**"Professor****-**

"-Oh my god." Peter said.

"Proffesor Omygod?" Remus asked.

"No. You're... You... I can't believe..." Peter smiled.

"Oh give me the book." Lily said.

**"Proffesor ****R. J. Lupin," whispered Hermione at once.**

"Wow." Rmeus said. "Really? Me? A teacher? That's great!" He beamed. "What I allways wanted..."

**"How d'you know that?"**

**"It's on his case," she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.**

**"Wonder what he teaches?" said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile.**

**"That's obvious," whispered Hermione. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defence Against the Dark Arts."**

"Wow mate." Sirius smiled. "Congratulations.. Ummm... Really Lucky?" He asked.

"Why does he get such a nice name?" Peter pouted.

"I can't think of asything else." Sirius shrugged.

"What about you Lily?" James asked. "Don't you wanna snazzy nickname?"

Lily looked horrified. "Ummm, no thanks... I think I'll deprive myself that luxury, thanks." She rejected nervously.

"Lucky egg." Peter muttered.

"She said she didn't want one Pete." Remus told him.

"I- what?" He stared at him blankly. "Oh! That. Ummm it wasn't supposed to be... Well I guess it does fit... But well..." He trailed off.

"Looking 'Exy?" James tried.

"Exy?" Lily asked. "No thanks." And she continued reading.

**Harry, Ron, and Hermione had already had two Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers, both of whom had lasted only one year. There were rumours that the job was jinxed.**

"Well lets hope you're up for it mate." Sirius said, "Wouldn't want to keep young minds from learning important things huh?"

**"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like one, good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway..." **

"Well that's not nice!" Peter huffed. "Maybe he jost got back from his-" James kicked Peter hard in the shin and covered up for his mistake. "Mums house. You know how shes allways i'll and Remus has to watch her? He's probably just tiered from that." He finished, Sirius and Peter nodding vigorously behind him.

**He turned to Harry. "What were you going to tell us?"**

**Harry explained all about Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's argument and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. \When he'd finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth. She finally lowered them to say, ****"Sirius Black**** escaped to come after you? Oh, Harry... you'll have to be really, really careful. don't go looking for trouble, Harry --"**

**"I don't go looking for trouble," said Harry, nettled. "Trouble usually finds me."**

"Just like his father." Remus sighed dramatically.

James joined Remus "I know. Sometimes it just seems like it follows me around. You know?"

"No stupid." Remus laughed. "I mean that's usually your excuse as well."

**"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" said Ron shakily.**

**They were taking the news worse than Harry had expected. Both Ron and Hermione seemed to be much more frightened of**** Black**** than he was.**

"Hey!" Peter exclaimed. "Why are you calling Sirius Sirius?"

"I would think that obvious Peter, I don't exactly feel like calling him Small Balls."

**"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."**

**"But they'll catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too..." **

**"What's that noise?" said Ron suddenly.**

**A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. The, looked all around the compartment.**

**"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," said Ron, standing up and reaching into the luggage rack. A moment later he had pulled the Pocket Sneakoscope out from between Harry's robes. It was spinning very fast in the palm of Ron's hand and glowing brilliantly.**

Sirius gasped. "Oh oh. Seems like Remus has gone bad on us too..."

**"Is that a Sneakoscope?" said Hermione interestedly, standing up for a better look.**

**"Yeah... mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron said. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."**

**"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" said Hermione shrewdly.**

**"No! Well... I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys... but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"**

"Well that would do it." Lily remarked.

**"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry advised as the Sneakoscope whistled piercingly, "or it'll wake him up."**

**He nodded toward Professor Lupin. Ron stuffed the Sneakoscope into a particularly horrible pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks, which deadened the sound, then closed the lid of the trunk on it.**

**"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," said Ron, sitting back down. "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."**

"Oh but Harrys not going!" Lily remembered.

"Oh yeah! Hey guys? Later today lets go up to McGonagal's office and stick a huge poster that says: I, James 'Prongs' Potter give my son, Harry James Potter, permission to go to Hogsmead in third year. And then underneath it we'll all sign it!" James ran upstairs and got a huge piece of paper. "And we can put a permanent sticking charm on it!" He smiled at his own brilliance and began writing on the poster.

**"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain --"**

**"Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way.**

**"But that's not Why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honey Dukes."**

**"What's that?" said Hermione.**

**"It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything... Pepper Imps -- they make you smoke at the mouth -- and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next --"**

Peter's stomach growled. "Umm, guys?" He asked.

Sirius looked at him.

"Could we go down to the kitchens and get something to eat?" He pleaded. "I'm starving."

Sirius nodded. "Now that I think of it... Im hungry too..."

"Me three."

"Yeah, me four."

Lily smiled. "Yes it would be quite nice to have something to eat."

James looked at her and noticed something about the way she smiled that she was keeping something from them. He shrugged it off and ran upstairs to get the Invisibility Cloak.

...

As soon as the boys had left for the kitchens, Lily began to cast complicated charms on the doorway and couches. She moved her wand it complex styles and when she was done, she sat on her own perfectly normal seat and waited for the boys to return.

...

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs reched the kitchen in record time.

Slightly out of breath and laughing at a joke James had just told, the boys had trouble standing up straight and sat on the floor by the painting of the bowl of fruit and righted themselves.

Remus tickled the Pare and pulled on the handle, revealing a room bigger than the Great Hall with five tables positioned right underneath where the staff and house tables were in the Great Hall.

As soon as the boys walked through the door, they were attacked by houselves.

"Sir Marauders! What a pleasant surprise!" Squeaked the closest one. "What would you like today?"

James winked at her. "Thanks Violet. We were looking for lunch for five please." He smiled at the blushing elf.

"Right away young sirs." She said and scurried away to help prepare the food.

"They love us." Sirius said, as an elf brought them each a butterbeer. "Who will they serve when we leave? What will they do without us..." He sighed.

"I dunno mate, but someone'll probably find the kitchens in the future." Remus said. "I bet Harry has." He added in an undertone.

James smiled at the thought of his son being here in fifteen years.

James's thoughts were interrupted suddenly when Violet returned with five other elves holding up a package of fresh food and a case of butterbeer. "Thanks guys!" Sirius samiled at the heppy elves.

"Yeah." Peter said through a mouthfull of food. "Fankh 'oo."

The four boys returned to the common room, to a big surprise.

...

Lily heard then climbing the portrait hole and prepared her self for the laugh of her life.

...

As James entered the common room, he experienced a feeling of dread. He didn't know why, but something was bugging him. He took another step forward and the whole common room went upside down. He dropped the food he was holding and it fall upwards, to his shoes.

Sirius, Peter, Remus or Lily hadn't seemed to notice anything. They were walking arout on the ceiling (which was really the floor) as if nothing was wrong. James heard a small 'pop' and Peter had grown whiskers, round ears and a tail.

Sirius roared with laughter at the boy, who hadn't seemed to notice anything strange.

"What?" He squeaked, in a voice much higher than his own. This just made Sirius laugh harder, and when Peter's nose turned black and his front teeth began growing rapidly the poor boy noticed his changes and began running around screaming, "Ahhh what's happened to me!? Who did this? Ahh help me someone!! Ahahaha!!" At this point, Sirius had been laughing so hard that he was unable to brathe and his face had turned a purple color. Remus muttered something and Sirius was able to breathe again.

"Li-lily that was- b-briliant." He managed beetween laughs.

The girl just smiled and stared at him innocently as Peter's hair began to grow rapidly and his face became covered in hair.

"Arghh! What's happening?" He cried as he reached up to touch his face. His clothes dissapeared, revealing his whole body covered in black hair so thick, it covered him like clothes.

Lily faked shock "I have no idea!" She said, giggling as Sirius's nose grew out and his ears moved to the top of his head. He growled at her as a very furry tail grew out of his butt and then, seeing as he might as well make the best of the situation, began chasing it around the room.

Meanwhile, James had witnessed all of this and when he picked up hit right foot, the room had righted itself. He walked forward just as Remus turned to look at him.

James's eyes widened. Remus's eyes had turned red, but the kindness remained, and he had grown big pointed ears on the sides of his head, much like a wolf. His skin looked tanner, but a closer look told James it was covered in a nice brown fuzz. Remus

Laughed when he saw James. The boy had grown antlers and ears that stuck out to the side like a reindeer's. His feet, though no one had noticed, had turned to hoofs and he no longer had five toes, but two huge ones.

The two boys gave eachother questioning looks, both wondering what was so funny. James finally managed to say "You're a wolf!" and Remus widened his eyes, realizing that what had happened to his friends had probably also happened to himself too and ran up to James' dormitory. He looked in the mirror and saw that he looked very much like his werewolf self but without the hatred and madness in his eyes. He had short, brown hair allover his body and long, fanglike teeth. His eyes were red and his nose black. The ears sticking out of his head were big and very sharp, he could almost hear Lily gasping for breath downtrairs from laughing so hard. Remus grimaced to himself and went back downstairs.

...

James saw Remus leave the Heads' Common room into James' dormitory probably to look at himself in the mirror, he very much resembled his werewolf self at that point and James couldn't help bus laugh when a sudden thought struck him.

If the other three had turned into animals then James was probably...

"AAARRGGHHHHH!!" James screamed, as he felt the antlers on his head. He ran up to his room and shoved Remus aside.

James Potter gasped at what he saw.

And then burst out laughing.

Remus and James just looked at eachother, and then at themselves in the mirror and burst out laughing.

...

Lily watched as the Marauders turned into animals one by one, curious to see that they hadn't turned into guines pigs, but individual animals. She figured the spell must have gone wrong.

James, being last to come near enough to receive the spell, hadn't noticed that he had changed until he felt his antlers. The look on his face had been priceless.

...

Sirius and Peter were still doubled over with laughter when Remus and James returned fron James' room.

At the sight of the two, the dog and rat simply lost controll again.

"What's with you guys? You should go look in the mirror... We don't look half as bad as you two." James scowled.

Sirius shrugged and walked towards James' room. Peter followed.

A minute later, James, Lily and Remus heard the unmistakeable sound of Sirius' voice yelling "Argh!! Look at my hair!"

...

Remus and James made to follow the other two boys but James stopped and said, "Lily? We must have a Sirius conversation with Sirius about Sirius and his... Siriusness" And the boys walked into the other room.

...

Lily waited patiently for the boys to return from James' room. Remus and James had told her thay had to have a serious talk with Sirius.

She waited for the moment came when they would decide to sit down...

...

James and Remus entered the room to find Sirius and Peter on James' bed, smelling, rolling and, in Sirius' case, licking random things.

"Ewww Sirius!" James whinnied in his low stag voice. "You're getting dog drool all over my stuff!"

Sirius barked in a very human-like way. "Aww Jamesie... You know you love my puppy dog eyes..."

Remus snortes. "Yeah 'cause you look so much like a dog right now... You look like a cross between a bear and a human... Trasformation gone wrong?" He chuckled.

"Oh shut up." Sirius growled. "You don't look like Mr. Charming yourself. None of us do come to think of it..." He added, looking around at his friends.

"Change of subject!" Squeaked Peter.

"Yeah..." Sirius agreed. "We have to find a way to get revenge on Evans... She did this to us... Im sure of it..." An evil grin spread onto his face.

"Oh no." Remus cringed.

Sirius smirked. "Here's the plan..."

...

About ten minutes later, the four boys returned to the Head's common room with a look of extreme satisfacton on their faces.

Sirius smiled at Lily and the four boys sat down.

...

As soon as James sat down, he felt as though a million volts of electricity had just ran through his body. The shock began at his bottom and went up to his head and through his arms and legs. James felt paralysed and when he tried to move, his butt throbbed painfully, as if he had sat upon an ignited firplace.

The other boys felt the same and as they continued to twitch, their fur grew longer and began frizzing up from the electifying. Sirius' already long shaggy hair frissed the worst and, to his horror, began to turn a light pink. He looked at his friends and sure enough, they were in the same condition as him.

Sirius turned to glare at Lily, who was trying her best to look innocent but she could hardly contain herself and burst out laughing.

"Think its funny Evans?" Sirius growled. "Well this is funny to me."

He waved his wand and Lily's hair turned white. Her whole body sprouted long white hair and large pointy cat ears appeared at the top of her white head. Her already large green eyes grew larger and rounder and a thick, soft tail grew out of her bottom. She was now some kind of Persian.

Sirius waved his wand again and in a moment, Lily was sneasing rainbow bubbles.

Sirius smirked at her. "Thought you could get away with pranking The Marauders huh? Well lemme tell you something Evans: No One _ever_ pranks the Marauders and gets away with it. No one." He smiled and added, "Oh and that spell wasn't perfected yet so who knows what the side effects might be... Or when it'll ware off."

"Padfoot! That was my _girlfreind! _You can't prank my girlfriend!" James cried.

"Actually I think I just did." Sirius replied offhandedly. "But that's not the point, I _might_ be able to change her back, but not until she changes me back!" He huffed. Lily glared at him.

"I wouldn't give you that satisfaction even if I had to stay like this forever. Besides, there is nothing I can do, it'll wear off in a few days I think." Her voice was silky and sneering.

"Fine. But you're not going back until we go back!" He smiled mischeviously, always glad for a nice prank war to keep him busy.

"And about that shock..." He began, waving his wand threateningly.

"No Padfoot." James said. "I think that's enough. You two'll be the laughing stock of the century as is. We don't need... Er... Improvements."

"Fine." Agreed Sirius and Lily, neither really meaning it.

As Sirius went to sit down, he waved his wand discretely and looked questioningly up at James and his girlfriend.

"Well? Come on. Sit down." He said expectantly.

James and Lily sat down cautiously and, feeling nothing out of the ordinary, realxed.

Sirius fought back a grin and leaned closer to Lily. "So Evans, what do you think? Give me back my normal body, and I'll give you yours. That simple." He raised his eyebrows at her questioningly.

"Well guess what Black?" She purred back. "Like I said before, I wouldn't give you the satisfaction even if I had to eat boubertouber pus. And besides, you should be happy I didn't turn you a shocking orange."

Sirius smiled. "Ooops. Shouldn't have said that!"

And sure enough, Lily's fur tuned bright orange.

"Lets continue reading, shall we?" Remus asked. "Before something worse happens?"

"Fine."

...

After a bit of catching up, and remembering where they were, Lily continued to read.

**"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain --"**

"Woah!" James said. "They still believe that?"

"Believe what?" Lily asked.

"Umm. That the srieking shack is haunted. I mean, we've met the ghosts that 'haunt' it and they're really uite friendly." Peter said.

"Oh. I allways thought those rumors were true. You'll have to take me to meet them some day." She said.

"Yeah." Remus agreed. "Maybe."

**"-- and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.**

Peter jumped up. "Oh yeah! I think we got some of those!" He raced over to the bag of food and began handing everyone they're lunch. "Here it is..."

**Hermione looked around at Harry.**

**"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"**

"Yeah just rub it in!" Sirius huffed.

"they don't know he can't go. Remember?" Lily replied cooly.

Sirius looked thoughtful.

**"'Spect it will," said Harry heavily. "You'll have to tell me when You've found out."**

**"What d'you mean?" said Ron.**

**"I can't go. The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."**

**Ron looked horrified.**

**"You're not allowed to come? But -- no way -- McGonagall or someone will give you permission -- " **

Sirius snorted.

**Harry gave a hollow laugh. Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, was very strict.**

**" - or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle -"**

"Sounds like someone we know..." Remus pondered.

**"Ron!" said Hermione sharply, "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of school with Black on the loose -"**

**"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask for permission," said Harry bitterly.**

**"But if we're with him," said Ron spiritedly to Hermione, "Black wouldn't dare -"**

**"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," snapped Hermione. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street. Do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because we're there?"**

**She was fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks basket as she spoke.**

"NOOO!! Not the evil tiger!!" Peter cried.

"Oh shut up. Why do you care about that dumb rat anyway?" James said.

"Because, well... I just do."

**"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.**

**"Get out of here!"**

**"Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.**

**Ron was about to answer back when Professor Lupin stirred. They watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.**

"Ugh. You sleep weirdly Moony." Sirius grimaced.

"Well at least I don't drool!"

"Or snore!" Peter piped up. "Oh. Woops." He said, realizing his mistake.

James and Sirius sniggered.

**A/N: Hope you liked this half and I was very high on Doctor Pepper when I wrote this so don't think im weird…. Or perverted…. Cuz im not!**


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